The Omega Project
by LethanWolf
Summary: Following the final war, Central 46 have issued new orders that don't bode well for our favourite characters. Head Captain Kyoraku has a plan, the Omega's and Alpha's will go through a series of compatibility tests to determine which souls would be best suited for each other. {Mature version on Ao3, Omegaverse, multi pairings, designed to keep you guessing.}
1. Prologue

**Hey all!**

**So this fan fiction is written to keep the final pairings hidden and to keep you guessing who will end up with who. As we go through the fic, it might start to become a little clearer. If any of the final pairings mentioned in the tags aren't your cup of tea at all, I don't recommend reading to save disappointment.**

**Also this story contains some mild Momo bashing, so if Hinamori is a character you like, then maybe best not to read this.**

**As the fan fiction goes on, you'll be able to vote on genders of the babies and offer up suggestions of names etc as well as guessing who the final pairings might be!**

••✼••

The summoning wasn't entirely unusual, but it still made Rukia's skin prickle with anxiety. Despite her internal struggles, her outward composure remained. The soft padding of her feet echoed around the wooden hallways as she made her way toward the large mahogany doors of the 1st Division.

The guards outside emitted her with a bow, and she heard the doors close behind her. The chamber was lit with the faint light of the setting sun and cast vivid orange shadows across the ancient wood. Large crimson pillars to the left supported the ceiling as the walls fell way toward a balcony looking out across the vastness of the Seireitei. The air cooled the clammy sweat that had begun to dew on her palms. Rukia's fingers found the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki in a bid to ground herself.

Across the stretch of the room stood several figures; Head Captain Kyoraku, who was only member seated behind the desk, was shadowed by his Lieutenant, Nanao Ise. The women had the same composed expression she always wore when her Captain was sober, but it was the other figures who stole Rukia's focus.

It was an eclectic gathering. Captain Hitsugaya stood closest to one of the large red pillars to the left, his white brow ticked in obvious annoyance. Lieutenant Hinamori stood close beside him, chatting soft words that Rukia could not hear. Third Seat Kiyone Kotetsu and her sister Captain Kotetsu stood beside each other speaking with Renji and then there was…

'Ichigo!' Rukia couldn't help but laugh as her tall strawberry friend swept her up into his arms in a bone crushing hug. The tension in the room seemed to break and Rukia had to hide her smile in the shoulder of her friend's shihakusho.

'It's good to see you,' Ichigo lowered Rukia back to the floor, clearly not caring at all that he'd just man handled a Lieutenant of the Gotei 13 and beamed triumphantly down at her. His familiar scent made the Head Captain's office feel less intimidating and served to relax Rukia further.

On the verge of asking her tall friend what he was doing in the Seireitei, the Head Captain called out to her.

'Ah Rukia!' Head Captain Kyoraku said, using her first name to emphasise that this wasn't an entirely formal meeting. 'Glad you could join us, this means we're only waiting on two more.'

'What is this all about?' Rukia whispered to Ichigo as they walked back toward the gathered group. Renji shot Rukia a grin which she returned as she took up waiting beside the gathered souls.

'Beats me,' Ichigo said shrugging with his finger twisting in his ear, 'but he said it was important so here I am.'

'Sorry I'm late,' another familiar voice called from the door and Rukia turned to see that Lieutenant Matsumoto had arrived. She looked dishevelled, as if she'd just woken from a dee sleep or had run quickly to try and make the meeting on time.

'You're not as late as you could be Rangiku,' Head Captain Kyoraku chuckled and Lieutenant Matsumoto beamed at her drinking buddy. Ichigo elbowed Rukia and nodded in the direction of Captain Hitsugaya who was now scowling at his Lieutenant. Clearly he would have preferred her to be more punctual.

'The summoning did come out of the blue,' Rukia spoke quietly to Ichigo and now Renji who was listening too.

'Yeah, but whatever it is it seems Urahara and Yoruichi are in on it because I was practically kidnaped from my house and brought here.' Ichigo shrugged and Rukia pursed her lips.

'They didn't give you any information?' she asked curiously. The notes of stress in her voice caught his attention easily. Ichigo had always been incredibly protective of her, he'd learned to interpret every shift in her syllables and every change in her scent from their time together in the world of the living. Rukia in turn, had learned the same of him.

'No, but it will be fine, it's probably going to be something dumb,' Ichigo said.

'Look around the room,' Rukia sighed patiently, 'we've only got Lieutenant and Captain level souls here… whatever it is, it isn't dumb.'

'Kiyone isn't a Lieutenant,' Ichigo pointed out.

'No, true, but she's still a third seat,' Rukia glanced over at the tiny Omega. Kiyone Kotetsu seemed to be just as apprehensive as Rukia was, but was showing the stress. Her pale blue eyes were glancing nervously back toward the Head Captain and her gloved hands twisted themselves into her uniform. Captain Kotetsu seemed to be trying to keep her sister calm, a hand squeezing her shoulder in a familiar show of affection.

Rukia took another closer look around the room, at the various souls gathered and she noticed something else, something that they did all seem to have in common.

'It's all Alpha's and Omega's,' Rukia said blinking quickly.

'Hm?' Ichigo asked, having zoned out.

'It's all Alpha's and Omega's that are here, look,' Rukia nodded around the room and Ichigo blinked and glanced around.

'You're right,' he replied as Renji came to stand beside them, now more invested in their conversation.

'I noticed that too,' Renji commented with a frown.

'You think that has something to do with it?' Ichigo asked, quirking a brow at Rukia.

'Possibly,' Rukia could feel the anxious pressure in her abdomen now as she tried not to overthink things.

'Could be a coincidence, but I don't think it is,' Renji shrugged.

'When is the meeting starting?' Ichigo asked with a sigh, checking a black watch on his wrist.

'I don't know, Head Captain said we're waiting for one more,' Renji replied, then the doors were thrown open and the sound of struggling reached their ears.

A small blond boy with a long black jacket was being manhandled into the room by two members of the stealth squad.

'Ah, my delivery is here,' Head Captain Kyoraku said pleasantly as the struggling blond was dumped unceremoniously onto the wooden floor.

'What the fuck is this?' he spat.

'Yukio?' Ichigo asked and Rukia realised why she recognised the boy. He scrambled to his feet and dusted his jacket down. Yukio turned to glare at Ichigo, the look made less intimidating by the fact they could only see one of his green eyes.

'What did you say to them?' Yukio asked Ichigo, 'I told ya, I ain't doing no more fighting.'

'I didn't say anything,' Ichigo retorted, his anger coming quickly to the surface as it usually did in the face of conflict. Rukia took a deep breath and sighed as the two boys began to argue, in times like this she was reminded how young Ichigo was.

'I summoned you Yukio,' the Head Captain said cheerfully, standing up and clapping his hands, 'and now that you're here the meeting can begin.'

Yukio looked like he wanted to protest more, but despite the cheerful tone of Captain Kyoraku there was an air of authority and power in his stance that the tiny fullbringer didn't dare argue back. Instead he simply scowled and crossed his arms.

'Welcome friends,' the Head Captain began with a beaming smile, 'would anyone like a drink?'

Matsumoto shifted to put her hand up but it was promptly grabbed by Captain Hitsugaya causing Hinamori to chuckle.

'No one?' he asked looking incredibly disappointed.

'Fuck it, I'll take one,' Renji said with a shrug. He stepped away from their side and toward the desk where the Head Captain was enthusiastically pouring.

'Ichigo?' the old man asked turning to grin at him.

'I'm too young to drink,' Ichigo frowned at him and the Head Captain waved it off, holding a drink out for him anyway. Ichigo took it with a sigh as Captain Kyoraku turned his gaze on Rukia.

'I don't drink,' Rukia said with an apologetic bow.

'Nonsense, I see you drinking tea all the time, it's basically the same thing,' he retorted. Rukia doubted that very much but she couldn't refuse her Head Captain so took the porcelain cup with resigned acceptance.

Once the Head Captain had bullied the entire room into taking a cup, they all drank at the same time. It felt like a toast and Rukia had no idea what exactly it was that they were toasting.

'As you all know,' the Head Captain started, his tone making them pay heed as this seemed to be the real reason they were summoned, 'we lost a lot of strong souls in the last war. The visored's have expressed no interest in wishing to re-join the Seireitei and I don't blame them. Thus new orders have come from Central 46.'

There was an uncomfortable shuffle of bodies around the room. Any orders from Central 46 usually ended poorly for the souls in the Gotei 13.

'These new orders are… a little unorthodox,' the Head Captain shared a look with his Lieutenant who gave him an encouraging nod. 'But they've expressed strong wishes for a minimal of two powerful souls to be born by the end of the year.'

He let the words sink in and for some of the more astute souls in the room there was instant shock. Rukia felt it in her whole body… that was why the room was only filled with Alpha and Omega souls, and of the uppermost rank with the highest spiritual pressure.

'You can't be serious?' Captain Kotetsu said finally, breaking the silence. Rukia could feel Ichigo's puzzled and naive stare boring into her, but she gave the squad four Captain her full attention as she challenged the older man.

'I wish I was,' Head Captain Kyoraku grimaced, 'however I do not wish for any of you to worry. Captain Ukitake was with me when I was summoned alongside my lovely Nanao, and together we made our voices heard.'

'I'm surprised they even listened to you,' Captain Hitsugaya stated coldly, the temperature in the room turning a few notches colder as he spoke. Everyone knew that the young Captain had terrible experiences at the hands of Central 46.

'So am I Shiro,' the Head Captain sighed, 'I made myself very clear that they would not impose unwanted pregnancies on any of the Omega's in the Gotei 13. We tossed around a few ideas and came up with a plan, if it isn't successful then we will simply ask for donations of sperm and eggs and the babies will be laboratory born.'

His body language made it clear he didn't wish for that to be the case but Rukia felt considerably lighter at the arrangement. No one was going to be forced into this, worst case scenario she'd maybe be asked to make a donation… even then if they were only looking for two new souls there were plenty of people in this room to make it happen.

'Central 46 know that souls born here usually have much higher spiritual pressure, it's easier to create and raise the next generation of powerful souls than it is to wait for the chance of another miracle soul to pass through these doors,' the Head Captain sighed, 'their ideas for how we went about this were significantly worse than mine. We reminded them where their poor decisions have led too in the past, who they've hurt in the past and they seemed to be ready to try and do things our way instead.'

'And what is your way?' Captain Isane asked.

'Well,' he seemed to perk up at the question, a large smile forming over his face, 'we call it "The Omega Project."'

'This already sounds like a terrible idea,' Renji mumbled under his breath but loud enough for Ichigo and Rukia to hear him. It wasn't often that Rukia agreed with her tattooed friend but the ball of anxious energy bubbling inside her was making her agree at this moment.

'We'd obviously love for the new souls to be born to proper parents and especially their Omega mother, so we decided to come up with a few match making tests… these will be done to try and match an Omega in this room with the Alpha they're most likely to produce the best offspring with.'

Captain Kyoraku looked incredibly proud of himself, 'but that's not all, we will also do a personality test so that maybe when the two souls come together they stand a chance of actually forming a bond.'

'This still sounds like a really terrible idea,' Renji sighed again and Rukia internally agreed.

'Even if the two souls decide not to pursue each other, they will not be forced to mate?' Captain Hitsugaya clarified with a scowl.

'Of course, I would never force anyone in this room to do something like that, but we may then require a small donation from each of you instead.' The older man replied.

'Well, that seems, fair…' Lieutenant Matsumoto commented, 'I have a question.'

'Ask away,' the Head Captain spread his arms in a wide fashion, as if opening the floor for all questions to be welcome.

'Say the Omega wants to go through with a natural pregnancy and raising the child but the Alpha doesn't?' she asked.

Head Captain Kyoraku gave her a soft smile, like he'd partly been expecting this question from her.

'Then we can absolutely do that. Artificial insemination will be an option here as long as the Alpha's are happy to pop it in a cup for us.'

Some of the Alpha's flinched around the room, but Renji laughed.

'I think you'd be hard done by to find an Alpha who wouldn't want to get Rangiku pregnant,' his obnoxious voice boomed and Rukia nearly hit him. His comment was, as always, incredibly uncalled for and Rukia had to count to five to ground herself. She noticed that Captain Hitsugaya was firing Renji a look of deep loathing, and Rukia was sure if Renji made any move toward Matsumoto in that time, he'd have been frozen solid.

'Like I said, we'd love the children to be raised with at least one or both parents to ensure that they grow up with our morals and surrounded by love to help guide them,' the Head Captain said, choosing to ignore Renji's comment. 'We really don't wish to go down the lab born option, but if we do we will ensure there are parents wishing to adopt and raise the child so it can grow in a loving environment. Jushiro was exceptionally critical of this point and Nanao and I agreed with him.'

Matsumoto seemed pleased with the answer and Rukia wondered, as she studied the taller woman's face, how long she'd wanted to be a mother for.

'Well I'm happy to go through with this for the sake of the Seireitei,' Lieutenant Hinamori said with a low bow.

'Aye, I'll take part,' Ichigo said which surprised Rukia. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at her friend but he just shrugged at her. Renji seemed to be on board, along with Rangiku and the rest seemed to only grudgingly accept their fate… all except-

'Why the fuck am I here then?' Yukio scowled, 'I aint got no spiritual pressure.'

'Ah yes, Yukio!' Captain Kyoraku beamed and clapped his hands together, 'we knew you were an Alpha and we knew your power was unique. We thought it could be interesting to see what your power combined with ours would produce.'

'I refuse,' he said, crossing his arms across his chest.

'Well see now, you're the only one in this room without a choice,' the Head Captain said still with the same cheerful tone. Rukia heard Renji laughing beside her but she shot the boy a sympathetic gaze. Yukio looked livid, his pale face breaking out in an angry red flush.

'W-what?' he stammered, 'but you said-'

'I said I wouldn't be forcing the Omegas, but since all we need from you is a tiny little sample, I'm pretty sure we can get that from you _relatively_ pain free if you're not willing to cooperate-'

'Okay, okay!' he yelped as the Head Captain swept towards him.

'Marvellous,' Captain Kyoraku smiled.

'I am guessing I am here from a medical point of view then, Captain Kyoraku, since I am not an Omega?' Captain Kotetsu asked.

'Yes, we will need you on board and ready to help us deliver children should the Omega's choose to go with a natural birth,' he nodded to the woman who bowed back.

Yukio could still be heard muttering sulkily under his breath but there was now an air of dismissal around them. Rukia wasn't sure exactly where she should go now, or what she should do with herself.

'Head Captain Kyoraku?' she asked bowing low for the interruption and making the older man smile in a fond and charmed sort of way, 'does my brother know?'

'Ah well,' the Head Captain rubbed the back of his neck, 'that's actually where your Captain went Rukia. Jushiro is off trying to talk Byakuya into this whole ordeal…'

'Good luck,' Renji muttered under his breath.

'I will go and visit my brother tonight then,' Rukia said, retaining her sigh as she fought against the anxious twisting sensation in her stomach.

'Good idea,' he nodded, 'in that case all the Omegas are dismissed, Alpha's may I ask you to stay behind for me please.'

There was shuffling as the Omega's moved toward the doors at the back. Lieutenant Ise walked beside them so that only the Alpha's would be left in the room. The large doors were pushed open and closed behind the party of people before a bubble of chatter broke out.

'This is so exciting,' Matsumoto commented, clasping the arm of Ise as she spoke.

'I knew you'd be fine with it,' the dark haired Lieutenant responded with a fond smile. Her hand came up to cover Matsumoto's. Omega's thrived on physical contact, especially from people they were close too. It was one of the only ways to know if you were charming an Omega or not, if they sought physical contact from you, it was usually a positive sign.

'Well of course I'm going to be fine,' Lieutenant Hinamori said with an air of girlish excitement, 'I have Toshiro.'

Matsumoto seemed to go rigid at the mention of her Captain and Rukia wondered what had caused it.

'Toshiro and I were practically made for each other,' the small Lieutenant went on, twirling around in a circle and hugging her arms into her body. Then her eyes fell on Rukia and a soft smile graced her lips. 'I bet you and Kurosaki-kun will end up together?'

There were a lot of things about that sentence that annoyed Rukia. The use of the honorific _kun _being used by someone who barely knew Ichigo and also the way she seemed determined that Rukia and Ichigo would end up together, as if it had been a topic she'd discussed with people several times before.

'Ichigo and I are friends,' Rukia defended with a shrug, 'so we'll see.'

'But you're also friends with Lieutenant Abari too right?' Kiyone Kotetsu asked timidly.

'Yeah I am,' Rukia flinched and some of the other women seemed to chuckle.

'You don't want it to be him?' the younger Kotetsu asked quietly.

'It would just make things awkward with my brother,' Rukia sighed, 'I get the sense he doesn't like Renji very much.'

It was true, her brother often had to tolerate Renji more than usual as he wasn't just his subordinate, he was also Rukia's friend. She dreaded to think how much extra Byakuya would have to put up with Renji if he were the father of her child.

'Nanao are you taking part then?' Matsumoto asked the woman.

'Captain Kyoraku doesn't want me taking part,' her black eyebrows pulled her features down into a scowl, 'I offered to take part. Said it was only fair if all of you are being asked to do it, but he was adamant I won't.'

Matsumoto seemed to smile fondly at her friend, kissing the knuckles of her hands before letting them go. She turned beaming to the other women.

'Well I think we should meet after the tests or during them, help each other out and offer a sort of support network,' the busty Lieutenant offered.

'I like that idea,' Kotetsu responded, 'it will make me feel like I'm not going through this alone.'

'Well, I'll have Toshiro but I suppose I tag along,' Hinamori said with a shrug and Rukia watched Matsumoto's eyes close and her nostrils flare at the comment.

'That's decided then, first meeting at your place, Ran?' Ise asked and Matsumoto grinned and nodded.

'Yes, I will send messages out once we know a bit more information and we can all meet for it,' she replied. The Omega's started to disperse, Hinamori walking ahead of them all with an air of arrogant superiority. Rukia didn't miss the middle finger that Matsumoto gave to the back of the other woman until Ise caught her hand and lowered it with a shake of her head. The younger Kotetsu giggled and Rukia had to wonder what drama had been unfolding in the 10th Division surrounding the Captain, his Lieutenant and Momo Hinamori.

The thought was quickly wiped from her mind as Rukia realised she had to go and speak with her brother.

And just like that the twisting ball of anxiety was back in her stomach again.

••✼••

**Please let me know your thoughts in a review. **

**Chapters will start to get longer and longer, they will be updated regularly about every 1 to 3 weeks as I write them!**

**If you want to try and guess final pairings this early on, feel free :) and at the end we can see who was right all along.**


	2. Date One: Strawberry Sunset

**Welcome to Chapter 2 of The Omega Project! **

**Please keep in mind that the pairings COULD BE ANYONE! The direction of this story will be to keep you guessing, so with that in mind please relax and enjoy it :D **

**Also feel free to join our Bleach Discord for fan fiction authors and readers! Link is on my profile!**

**Massive thanks to Bookist, Nejes & Emman214 for leaving reviews on the last chapter!**

••✼••

Byakuya wasn't pleased.

Rukia could tell from the way he moved as they walked across his grounds. He only took strolls to clear his mind when he was dutifully annoyed.

The sun had almost completely set, the grounds lit by bamboo lanterns placed around the perimeter. The soft warm glow from the lights glinted off the water of the pond, where the koi fish slapped the surface to catch the last of the food from their evening feed. Rukia walked a few steps behind her brother, not daring to step up beside him until he was ready to speak to her. Byakuya's back was tense, his shoulders square and his arms folded into the opposite sleeves of his haori as he moved.

His strides were slow, less purposeful than when she'd first arrived. It gave her the sense that he was drawing to a final conclusion. Byakuya did nothing without purpose, said nothing without purpose and Rukia could see purpose in every line of his face as he finally turned toward her.

'Rukia,' he started and the Omega bowed low.

'Nii-sama,' she replied.

'I'm sorry,' Byakuya said softly.

The anxious ball that had been residing in Rukia's stomach broke with his words. She blinked dumbly at the grass for a moment before she straightened up and looked at her brother's face properly. The lines of concern were woven across his brow as he gazed down at his pond, the face of a man who looked like he'd aged very quickly in a very short period of time. Though it was rare for Baykuya to smile, the light from his steely grey eyes that usually indicated his own content seemed to be dulled.

'Nii-sama?' Rukia questioned, 'why are you sorry? I should be-'

'You're not to blame yourself for this Rukia, do I make myself clear?' his eyes flashed a warning in her direction and she flinched back from his gaze before he sighed.

Rukia had always had a habit of apologising for being an Omega. She often felt like she was a burden on the great Kuchiki household, whether it was stealing her brother's clothes for her nest, eating too much food before and after he heat or some other Omega related incident.

Each time her brother would scold her for it, remind her it wasn't her fault but it was in Rukia's nature to not wish to be a burden on those she cared for.

'I should have been able to stop this, to protect you,' as he spoke he flexed his hand, palm facing upward. Rukia was sure he was questioning his own abilities as an Alpha now and wished to challenge him on them but knew she couldn't. 'As soon as Ukitake told me what was going on, I made an appeal directly to Central 46.'

'You did?' Rukia gasped. She knew as a member of a noble family, Byakuya had a lot more influence on the higher authorities.

'Yes of course I did,' Byakuya sighed, tucking his hand back into his sleeve and gazing out across the pond once more, 'however they denied my request. Every high ranked Omega soul reaper is to take part in this project.'

'Lieutenant Ise has been told she doesn't have to by the Head Captain,' Rukia said, it was asked as a question because she was curious as to what kind of sway the Head Captain had in this situation.

Byakuya turned to gaze at her intently. She felt those steely grey eyes boring into her for a moment longer before Byakuya shook his head.

'The Head Captain won't be able to keep her out indefinitely, I think maybe he has plans to make a final plea but it will be futile. Lieutenant Ise will be forced to cooperate just as you are.'

'We're not forced to do anything against our will though,' Rukia said, remembering the Head Captains promise.

'No you will not be forced to mate,' Byakuya seemed to relax at these words himself then scowled, 'but you may be forced to give a sample.'

'If it helps the Seireitei wouldn't that be for the best?' Rukia asked curiously.

'I suppose,' Byakuya frowned and continued to look out across the water. Rukia had so many more questions for him but knew better than to burden him with them. Instead she stood quiet and waited nervously as he gathered his thoughts.

The tension was only broken with the sound of approaching footsteps. Rukia and Byakuya turned at the same time to see one of the servants of the house bowing low for his interruption.

'Begging your pardon, Captain, but I have a letter for Lieutenant Kuchiki,' he straightened up and handed Rukia a scroll sealed with the wax seal of the 1st Division. The servant bowed low again and departed.

Byakuya took a few hesitant steps closer before collecting himself and planting his feet. Rukia could feel his energy, now as anxious as hers was prior to visiting her brother. Rukia slipped her small finger under the red seal and broke it, unravelling the paper she decided to read the letter aloud.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki,

The first test of The Omega Project will begin tomorrow. You're to report to Captain Kotetsu for a full medical check-up. Your timeslot has been allocated between the hours of 3pm and 4pm. Further instructions will be given in due course.

With Regards,

Lieutenant Ise

Head Captain Kyoraku"

Rukia let the bottom of the paper go, where it sprung back up into a partial role making it easier to tuck inside the pocket of her uniform. Byakuya's face looked impassive and smooth, but his jaw was set with a hard line to it as though his teeth were clenched.

'A medical isn't anything new at least,' Rukia said in a bid to lighten the mood. Byakuya fixed her with his gaze again and Rukia shifted uncomfortably.

'I wish I could stop this,' he finally sighed.

'There might be a chance for us to continue the Kuchiki line here though nii-sama wouldn't you like that?' she asked.

'Not if it means forcing you to do something you'd rather not do,' he rubbed his temples with his long fingers then his eyes were back on Rukia's again. 'Do you have a desire to be a mother?'

It was a very personal question, but one Rukia had been expecting him to ask. The Lieutenant took a moment to ponder the idea and really try to visualise it. The thought of a tiny child running around the gardens and Byakuya as an uncle, helping her to raise the child even if the father didn't wish to be part of it…

Rukia liked the idea that she could continue the Kuchiki line, she felt like she was providing something back to the family who had taken her in and helped raise her.

'I- wouldn't be opposed to it…' Rukia finally stated.

Byakuya considered her for a few moments. It seemed this hadn't been the answer he'd expected and took a moment to gather his thoughts.

'What were everyone else's reactions in the meeting?' he finally asked, tucking his hands back into his sleeves.

Rukia contemplated for a moment before answering.

'Lieutenant Matsumoto seemed pleased, I think she's wished to become a mother for a very long time,' Rukia started and Byakuya nodded his head as if agreeing with her assessment. 'Lieutenant Hinamori seemed happy with the idea too because she has Captain Hitsugaya as her mate.'

'They're not mated,' Byakuya stated, and Rukia blinked at the interruption.

'They're not?' she asked.

'No,' Byakuya shook his head and Rukia burned with the desire to know more. How did her brother know that? Lieutenant Hinamori wore patches over her scent glands so that her bond mark wouldn't be on show. Rukia had always assumed it was because she didn't wish other people to see it.

In the Seireitei all souls had a total of six scent glands. Two on the inside of the thighs close to the groin for secreting mating cycle hormones. Two on the wrists, which were often used for scenting objects, and the final two were located on the throat just above the collar bone. When mating and bonding a pair would usually bite each other in this final spot to mark a claim. It wasn't uncommon for Beta's dynamics to do it to each other but was far more common between Alpha and Omega dynamics.

Rukia wanted to ask how Byakuya knew. Perhaps he'd spent enough time with Captain Hitsugaya to see the man without his scent patches on? But Rukia knew better than to question her older brother, especially when he was still expecting answers from her. Rukia decided to skirt the topic for now and maybe broach it with Lieutenant Matsumoto later.

'Third Seat Kiyone Kotetsu seemed apprehensive at first, but with her sister beside her, she seemed willing to cooperate,' Rukia said finally.

Byakuya was silent for a moment before asking, 'and what of Lieutenant Abari?'

Rukia blinked in surprise. Her brother hadn't specifically asked about all the other Alpha's, only his own Lieutenant. Again she wished she could question her brother without coming across as rude. Did her brother only wish to know so he could make plans for how his own division would be affected if his Lieutenant was off _frolicking _with an Omega?

Rukia held her tongue and sighed internally when he shot her a questioning look.

'I wasn't really focusing on Lieutenant Abari, Nii-sama, I'm sorry,' Rukia replied, 'But he didn't vocalise displeasure at it, he seemed rather keen actually.' Rukia was recalling his reaction to Lieutenant Matsumoto most of all.

Her brother's face contorted in displeasure before he sighed and turned away from her. Rukia was burning with curiosity. This was what it meant to be an Omega for the noble Kuchiki clan… constantly wishing for more information and hating that you couldn't ask for any.

'Very well, I suppose we will have to wait and see how things unfold.' There was a dismissal in his voice and as much as Rukia wanted to stay and speak more, she knew her place. With a low bow to his back, the younger Kuchiki turned and made her way back toward the manor.

She would report for her check up at the appropriate time stated on her invitation and take each day as it came. Rukia had no real thought on the matter at the moment, it all still felt unreal.

••✼••

The next day dawned bright and early. Rukia groaned and nuzzled down into the sheets of her nest. It was a challenge every morning to leave the nest and many Alpha's had no idea of the daily battle that an Omega started their morning with. Rukia glanced around the raised edges of her large bed, the warm air hugging her pleasantly from all sides. She kept an incredibly cold room so that her nest would always be the perfect temperature.

Sticking a bare leg out into the cold air, Rukia shuddered as the lower temperature caused her leg to prickle. She pushed herself up and yawned, checking the clock on the wall opposite. It was just after six in the morning and, as always, if she didn't leave her nest that exact moment she wouldn't be ready in time. Rukia groaned, resisting the urge to flop back down into the warm pool of scented blankets and pulled herself out from her nest.

The cold tiles against her warm feet woke her quickly and it was followed by just as cold of a shower. Rukia functioned better in the cold than she did in the warm, the perks of having an ice type zanpakuto. The frigid water hit her skin, causing her to shiver with pleasure. After wrapping herself in her towel and sticking her toothbrush in her mouth there was a knock at her door.

Rukia paused, glancing back at the clock which now read the time to be just after seven. The knock at her door sounded louder.

'Give me a second,' Rukia called, pulling the toothbrush from her mouth and scampered around to get dressed.

'It's not like I haven't seen you practically naked before, Rukia,' came an amused and familiar voice. Rukia fled from the room in only her shitagi and hakama pants, the obi loosely tied to keep them from slipping down.

'Ichigo?' Rukia asked pulling the door open to reveal the tall strawberry standing in her doorway looking entirely too happy to be awake at this time.

'That's me,' he ducked into her home without being invited but at least had the decency to discard his waraji before making his way further inside.

'It's seven in the morning, what on earth are you doing here?' Rukia's brows knitted together in confusion. She closed the door behind him and followed him inside. Unlike the relationship she held with her brother and higher ranked officers, she could question Ichigo as much as she liked.

'Oh I've not slept,' Ichigo replied dropping himself unceremoniously onto her couch and looking like he was ready to fall asleep there. Now Rukia could see the dark circles under his eyes and she frowned.

'Did you have a row with Nii-sama? Or were you out drinking with Renji again?' she asked.

'Both,' Ichigo perked and Rukia sighed. 'But I'm also here to ask you out on a date.'

The words took a while to be processed by Rukia's brain. She blinked dumbly at him while he looked politely back, the same soft smile still on his lips.

'What?' she asked.

'You're not deaf, Rukia,' Ichigo chuckled and glanced around her space instead. Rukia tried not to study the way his eyes took in the pile of books on her table or the teacup she'd forgotten to put away last night.

'You're asking me out on a date?' she clarified.

'That is what I said, yes,' Ichigo nodded and quirked a brow at her.

'Why?' Rukia was still too in shock to properly process the information. It was true that most of the things they'd done in the world of the living could have been mistaken for dating. It had often felt that way, but none of their outings had ever _felt_ romantic. Ichigo always kept his distance, had never once tried to make a move on her. Though their constant teasing of each other was often considered flirting by his friends, it was undeniable that Ichigo and Rukia held a bond that ran much deeper than what was on the surface.

'Well,' Ichigo chuckled, 'we were asked to by Head Captain Kyoraku.'

'Ichigo, if you don't start explaining everything now, so help me God I'll freeze-'

'Okay, okay,' Ichigo laughed and held his hands up in a defensive pose, his white grin standing out stark against his olive skin. 'Remember when all the Omega's were dismissed at the meeting but the Alpha's were asked to stay? Well Shunsui asked us all to spend more time with you alone. He made it very clear that we were to each take you out on dates so we can all get to know one another.

'I just decided that it would be easier to start familiar,' Ichigo said nonchalantly, 'so that's why I'm here, after battling Renji for the privilege of course. That may have had something to do with the argument with your brother.'

Rukia felt like her head was reeling.

'So, I'm expecting to be asked out by every Alpha on this project?' she finally clarified.

'Pretty much,' Ichigo shrugged his large shoulders, his dark eyes darting toward the kitchen and back to her face. 'What's a guy gotta do to get offered a cup of tea around here?'

'Not come barging in at seven in the morning to ask me out on a date,' Rukia scowled at him as he flashed his trademark grin back at her.

'Not had your morning cup of tea?' he asked and Rukia scowled.

Ichigo knew her so well.

Rukia made her way over to the kitchen to begin making the brew. As she worked, her brain seemed to process his words. Each of the Alpha's would take each of the Omega's out on dates. This meant that Rukia was expected to go out on a date with Renji, with Captain Hitsugaya? With Yukio…

She shuddered and placed the metal kettle back down on the stove a little harsher than she'd intended. The clang drew Ichigo's attention, but he decided against questioning her.

'I thought this would work better,' he said as she made her way over to put the tea down on the table, 'we both know each other well. Heck we've been on dates before technically, so it seemed best to start with something familiar.'

Rukia had to agree with him. She'd be so much more anxious if someone she barely knew like Yukio had asked her out before the rest.

'When is this date happening?' Rukia asked, taking a sip of her tea and letting the honey infused matcha settle the unease that had begun to prickle at her stomach.

'Well, tonight?' Ichigo shrugged, 'the sooner the better I suppose, I know Renji is eager to ask you out so figured I should get in there sharp, charm you first.'

Rukia snorted into her tea, 'charm me? Really?'

'Hey, I can be a pretty charming guy,' Ichigo grinned and Rukia rolled her eyes at him.

'For snakes maybe,' she sighed and put her finished cup down on the mat.

'Ouch,' Ichigo made a mock face of shock at her, his hand clutched over where his heart should be, 'that hurt, Rukia.'

'Don't be an idiot,' Rukia huffed, though amusement now laced her tone. She'd forgotten how much she'd missed him.

Ichigo put his cup down on the mat too, his chuckle being stifled by a huge yawn that broke over him. Rukia watched the way his body shook with it. His face looked so much darker than when she'd met him, like he'd aged more than a few years since they'd first met. Ichigo looked older, even if he didn't act it.

'I need to go to work,' Rukia said, 'but you're welcome to stay here, I have some leftover katsudon in the fridge. You can have that then you can sleep on the couch.'

She had to make that last part clear, else he try and make his way up toward her nest instead. He'd never nested with her out in the world of the living, the space in her cupboard being too small for the both of them to sleep in. But he'd provided most of the items that made up her nest while she was stuck there. Alpha's who provided something to an Omega's nest often felt some kind of ownership toward it, or so Rukia had read.

Ichigo nodded, looking entirely ready to pass out and Rukia stood up, picking the throw blanket from the other couch and putting it down near him. He thanked her as she made her way back toward her room to finish getting ready.

This day was already setting up to be a bit of a disaster. When Rukia finally made it into her office it was with side glances from most of her squad members. She'd carefully applied her scent patches and took her suppressants, the same as most Alpha's and Omega's in the Seireitei did, so she was sure it wasn't her scent that was causing them to stare. Which meant it was only one of two possible options, either the news of this silly Omega Project had carried quickly through the Seireitei or the news that Ichigo had asked her out on a date had.

'I will freeze the next person who looks at me like that,' Rukia whispered to her third seat.

Kiyone turned to glance back at the squad members who were now whispering behind their hands and she giggled as they made their way toward the office. 'I don't think Captain Ukitake would like that.'

'I don't get it, did the news of the project travel that far already?' Rukia asked as they slid the doors open to walk inside.

'Good morning Rukia,' Captain Ukitake greeted, 'Kiyone.'

They greeted Captain Ukitake with a low bow each but the amusement was still evident on his face when the two of them straightened up. The older man was looking at Rukia the same way everyone else in squad was.

'Is it rude of me to enquire what young Ichigo was doing at your house in the early hours of morning, Lieutenant?' he asked casually and Rukia started, a flush of embarrassment creeping up her skin as she realised what all the staring had been about.

Rukia spluttered under her Captains patient gaze, the lines of his face twitching in amusement as he worked hard to keep a straight face. Beside her, Rukia could feel Kiyone cast a curious gaze in her direction.

'It's not- I didn't- he's not-' Rukia spluttered helplessly, 'it's for that bloody project!' she finally settled.

'Ah, young Kurosaki-kun came by to ask you on a date?' Ukitake said, his body visibly relaxing and the smile spilling out over his features, making him look significantly younger.

'Yes,' Rukia worked hard to keep the exasperation from her voice.

'Yukio and I are going out later,' Kiyone said and Rukia blinked at the other girl in surprise.

'Really?' she asked.

'Yeah, he came by to ask, I bet that means that Lieutenant Abari will ask Rangiku out since Captain Hitsugaya will be with Lieutenant Hinamori?'

'It seemed young Kurosaki was eager to get your attention first Rukia,' Captain Ukitake said as he walked toward the small office fire where they made tea. Kiyone rushed forward to aid her Captain as Rukia stood digesting the words. She raised a hand to her head and rubbed her forehead as vigorously as she could.

She'd not properly had time to contemplate the matters in which she now found herself. A huge part of her seemed to be repressing them, trying not to overthink the current task they were all expected to perform.

Rukia had found, in her time of conscious thought, that overthinking was one of the worst poisons for the soul. Meditation was the only real coping mechanism for this destructive process and Rukia had far too many things on that day to allow herself the chance.

'Fuck,' she muttered under her breath, knowing that the other two souls were out of earshot.

'Hm?' Captain Ukitake turned with a tray of cups in his hands, 'what did you say Rukia?'

'Nothing,' Rukia straightened up and sighed, 'Ichigo is impulsive and reckless, but he's one of my very best friends, as is Renji.'

'You don't want this to get in the way of your friendships?' Ukitake asked as he set the tray down on his desk and handed a cup of tea to Kiyone.

'No, I don't. I love them like brothers,' Rukia said.

'Sometimes from the bonds of friendship, the most beautiful relationships can be born,' Captain Ukitake said cheerfully, 'or maybe one of the other Alpha's will sweep you off your feet.'

Rukia tried her best not to scoff. She could hardly see Yukio caring enough to sweep anyone off their feet given his tiny stature and non-existent spiritual pressure.

'Ah don't be so quick to judge, Rukia,' her Captain scolded, her face obviously giving her thoughts away.

'How do you feel about all this, Captain?' Rukia asked, wanting his honest answer. Kiyone, who was putting an obscene amount of honey in her tea, paused to cast her eyes toward the older man.

A shadow passed over Ukitake's face for a second and he seemed to be working hard to gather his thoughts. He brought his cup to his lips and took a sip. 'Well, I can't say that I'm entirely thrilled by the prospect. But we've had so much death and destruction recently, if this project works and we can successfully have new souls born into the Seireitei to parents who want them. Then I will admit, I'll find it hard to be displeased by the situation.'

Rukia could tell he'd worked hard to phrase it in a way that didn't discriminate his two Omega officers and she felt her affection for the older man deepen. Kiyone seemed pleased with his response too and went back to adding honey into her tea. Rukia stepped forward to pick up the cup he was now offering her as she processed what he'd said.

Most excitement in the Seireitei came from fighting, from work, from achieving goals. Very rare was excitement found in normal day to day acts, other than drinking. New souls being born into the Seireitei would certainly spread a new kind of energy around the divisions and officers.

'I know Rangiku really wishes to be a mother,' Kiyone said, finally drinking her tea.

'Yes, Rangiku would make a fine mother, as would either of you if it is what you wish,' Captain Ukitake said.

'I'm excited,' Kiyone said with another casual shrug of her shoulders, 'I never really gave it much thought before but now I am interested.'

Their chatter faded out into the distance as Rukia sipped on her tea. Her eyes gazed out of the office window, looking out over the Seireitei where the sun had now risen higher in the sky to cast blinding rays down onto the cobbled roofs. There was still so much damage from the previous wars, but in the brilliant sunshine of the early morning, even the rubble looked less devastating.

'Rukia?' her Captains voice brought her back to reality.

'Sorry?' Rukia turned back to him and he offered her a kind smile.

'What time is your medical appointment? I know they were all scheduled for various times today.'

'Mine is at 3pm,' Rukia recited and he nodded his head.

'Well if Kiyone helps, we should be able to get through enough of the paperwork so you may both leave earlier today.'

That's exactly what they did. The three of them got their heads down and worked together through the stack of recruitment transfer documents, lost soul forms and other various reports. By the time half two rolled around, Rukia couldn't feel the tip of her index finger and sat massaging her hand as her Captain dismissed them.

Though Kiyone's appointment wasn't until after Rukia's, as the sister of Captain Kotetsu and high ranked officer in her own right she was warmly welcomed to wait at Squad Four. The entire fourth division was always one of the first to receive priority rebuilding, so as Rukia made her way through the gates it was like stepping back in time to when the Seireitei had less war. It was comforting to know that if she were to go through with this plan, at least the medical centre was prepared to cope with it.

Captain Kotetsu greeted Rukia warmly and did all the pre health checks. It was nothing that Rukia hadn't experienced before in her full medicals. There were a little more questions surrounding her heats, her nesting habits before the entire checklist sitting on the Captains desk seemed to be complete.

'That's you, Rukia,' Captain Kotetsu said with a smile, 'you're all set.'

'Thank you,' Rukia stood up from the medical bed and stretched her muscles out.

'How are you feeling about it all, not too stressed?' she asked.

'Honestly? I've been trying not to overthink things.'

'I think that's incredibly healthy, it seems like you and Kiyone are the only two Omega's relaxed in this whole ordeal,' she shook her head.

'What do you mean?' Rukia asked and the Captain shook her head.

'Not my place to say, but I can imagine you'll find out for yourself anyway.' She held up a small scroll of paper, 'Lieutenant Matsumoto has asked me to pass this message onto each of the Omega's after their medical has been completed.'

Rukia took the scroll and unravelled to see an invitation to one of her favourite restaurants between the tenth and ninth division. Lieutenant Matsumoto was calling all the Omega's together to discuss the project and to spend some time getting to know each other outside of a formal setting. Rukia felt a bubble of affection for the taller Lieutenant in her stomach. She'd always been fond of Rangiku Matsumoto but had rarely got to spend any personal time with her.

'I think it could be good for you all to spend time getting to know each other,' Captain Kotetsu said, 'goodness knows you'll need a support network dealing with those Alpha's.'

'I suppose you've heard of the date thing?' Rukia asked, tucking the scroll inside her uniform. Captain Kotetsu smiled warmly at Rukia from over her desk.

'Yes, my sister told me all about it when Yukio asked her out last night.'

'It seems obscure, almost out of place with the original orders of Central 46,' Rukia shook her head and watched the Captain wince.

'Yes we all know if they'd had it their way how this would have went,' the Captains face turned grim, 'But honestly Rukia? I'd have loved to see them try.'

There was something closer to a growl in the Alpha's tone and she bared her teeth at Rukia. It sent a shiver of concern down the Omega's spine.

'What do you mean?' Rukia asked with a frown.

'Well, do you think I'd have let them use my sister like that? Do you think Captain Ukitake would have let you and Kiyone be used like that? Your brother? Captain Hitsugaya? Kurosaki? Lieutenant Abari? The Head Captain? No,' Captain Kotetsu shook her head, 'they'd have had a new war on their hands. This time their very own soldiers would have been the death of them.'

Rukia stared, blinking at her. She was right. The Gotei 13 were the soldiers and if they turned on Central 46… then they wouldn't have stood a chance.

'I suppose you're right,' Rukia said thoughtfully, she could see the events unfolding in her mind. Central 46 would have been decimated within a few hours, perhaps that's why they were more lenient with their orders this time around.

'I suppose we should just be thankful that our Head Captain is Kyoraku and not someone else who would have been fond of the idea of forced mating,' Captain Kotetsu said with a sigh. Rukia agreed with the woman as she made her way toward the door to leave.

'You know where I am if you need anything Rukia,' the taller woman said kindly, catching the door as it made to swing shut behind Rukia.

'I will, thank you, Captain,' she gave the healer a low bow and made her way out into the brilliant light of the Seireitei with a sigh.

Kiyone Kotetsu was waiting for her and beamed as she approached.

'Are you going to get ready for your date tonight?' she asked.

'I suppose I should,' Rukia couldn't be bothered. She hated the idea that this was to be a formal thing. She couldn't just meet up with Ichigo in her uniform and hang out like they used to do. Either way she knew she could relax and be herself around him, there were so few people she could do that with.

It took Rukia a surprisingly short amount of time to get ready. She stepped out of her bathroom an hour later, adding the last touches of hairspray to her hair and secretly thanked the beauty package that Lieutenant Matsumoto had put together for them from the world of the living. The purple dress stopped quite high on her thighs so to allow herself a bit more dignity she'd paired them with a pair of black shorts.

Ichigo had asked her to meet him at the senkaimon, which meant they were heading into the world of the living. It gave her a rush of excitement to know she was going back, that they were getting out of the Seireitei for a while.

The sun beat down on the large stone arches, the senkaimon stood tall and imposing between them. The light from the brilliant blue skies above, paled in comparison to the blinding white light that was flooding from the entranceof the gates. It crept across the gleaming off-green tiles and came to a stop just in front of Ichigo's booted feet.

'You ready?' Ichigo grinned, smugness radiating from every corner of his being, 'We're going to have a little fun.'

Rukia picked up on the way his voice lingered on the last word and a soft smile stretched across her face. In the world of the living they'd always gotten up to things that should have been illegal. As an older soul and warrior, Rukia should have known better, but always found herself going along with his manic ideas.

It seemed that tonight they would be revisiting this.

Ichigo's white shirt reflected the light of the gates they were about to walk through. He took her hand and she felt his skin scorch hers. It was another familiar feeling.

'Let's go,' Rukia hummed, a similar note of excitement in her voice as she realised this wouldn't be quite as formal as she'd thought.

She'd been right.

It only took them five minutes to locate the theatre. The seats at the back were almost entirely empty due to some kind of virus raging the world of the living. They'd snuck in without tickets, because they'd gone without their material form. Ichigo had left his living body behind and Rukia had not taken a gigai with her.

The snacks were a little harder to steal, and Rukia refused to leave the cinema out of pocket for that too, so she threw some cash down into the till when it opened for another customer.

They made their way through the walls, chuckling at the prospect of someone actually being able to see their forms materialise before they found the right screen number.

'So what are we watching anyway?' Rukia asked, glancing up to the large screen which was showcasing some trailers for upcoming movies.

'I remembered that you're a sucker for a good animated movie,' he smirked at her like this was a bad thing. Rukia huffed at him, as they sat their ghostly forms down onto the seats at the back of the cinema.

'Well, if you'd spent over a hundred years of your life chasing the dead, don't you think you'd appreciate something a bit more colourful in your life?' she defended.

'True,' Ichigo said, passing the popcorn across the floor so no one would see a box floating through the air, 'So no 28 Months Later movie then?' he asked.

'No,' Rukia shot him a look and he grinned as he flicked a bit of popcorn at her. Rukia resisted the urge to freeze it and aim for his temple but at that moment the lights dimmed and the story began. Rukia had forgotten how nice it was to forgo the world she was so accustomed too and get lost in another story for a couple of hours.

The tale of two brothers journey through magic to spend time with their father left tears prickling at the edge of Rukia's eyes. At points, she could feel Ichigo's gaze on her face, likely as he tried to anticipate her very "Omega" response to the scenes on the screen. Rukia didn't cave and by the end of the movie, her eyes remained dry, an exceptional feat for a Pixar movie.

'What are we doing next?' Rukia asked him and he shrugged.

'Thought we could just take a walk around the old neighbourhood,' he offered and Rukia nodded. Ichigo wasn't ever much of a planner, but his ideas, though simple, were always effective. Rukia reminisced as they wandered the streets of Karakura. How they'd met, how they'd spent their time together in the world of the living.

'Inoue misses you like crazy,' Ichigo said.

'Yeah?' Rukia asked as she glanced up at the familiar houses of the tightly condensed streets, 'I miss her too. What's she doing with herself?'

'She's studying medicine too,' Ichigo smiled, 'I think she's looking for an outlet to hide her healing abilities in so she can help more people.'

'That sounds like Orihime,' Rukia chuckled, 'what area of medicine is she studying?'

'She's trying to get into the children's unit,' Ichigo replied as he stretched his hands above him. Rukia listened to the groans and cracks of his body as she considered how different their lives were.

'Will you take over your father's clinic?' Rukia asked.

'Maybe,' Ichigo shrugged and there was a hard edge to his voice that Rukia understood without needing to ask.

'You're still mad at him?' she asked.

'He lied to me my whole life, Rukia,' Ichigo's voice felt like a whip in the air and Rukia flinched from his tone. It was against the nature of an Omega to upset an Alpha, even though Rukia had done it many times in her life.

'I know, but he did it to protect you,' Rukia tried to defend the old Captain.

'From what?' Ichigo nearly snarled and Rukia realised she was wrong to get into a conversation that was still so emotionally raw for him. Alpha's usually struggled with their emotions, lashing out in favour of accepting feelings of hurt or abandonment.

There was always one sure fire way to diffuse an Alpha's building rage… Rukia had learned very early on with Renji and her brother.

'You're right,' she replied and Ichigo deflated. 'He lied and hid so many truths from you that you deserved to know. I fully believe he thought he was doing the right thing but that doesn't mean it didn't hurt you.'

'Yeah,' Ichigo sighed and ran a hand down his face, 'can we change the subject.'

Rukia watched the way his body twitched, like he was looking for a fight and she felt for him. It must have been difficult being a male Alpha. Men were already prone to floods of testosterone without the need for the Alpha dynamic on top of it, and for a soul as kind and compassionate as Ichigo it must have been difficult to control.

But it was also what made him so strong, what made him such a good fighter and defender. If you gave an Alpha something to protect, they'd fight to the death rather than give up. Ichigo was born into this soul form, with a mother who was a Quincy and a father who was a noble Captain, any Omega who bred with Ichigo was likely to produce the strongest souls that the Seireitei had ever seen.

They walked on in silence and Rukia could feel the last heat of the sun prickling at the back of her neck. She glanced up toward the sky, the pale blue fading off to a dusty purple into peach and down into the lovely gold that licked the edges of the buildings in the distance.

Ichigo had set no time limit to this date and Rukia knew that Lieutenant Matsumoto and the other Omega's were expecting her soon but there was something about the ambiance that Rukia didn't want to leave.

'I think Renji has feelings for you,' Ichigo said.

Rukia tripped and nearly fell flat on her face.

'W-what?' Rukia managed to save her grace by using her reiatsu to push against the ground. Ichigo was blinking innocently down at her, his dark eyes boring into her own, trying to gauge her reaction.

'I think Renji has feelings for you,' he repeated.

'What, what makes you think that?' Rukia couldn't even fully process what he was saying to her. The idea was ridiculous. Ichigo scoffed, but the noise wasn't aggressive, it was actually a little affectionate.

'Come on, Rukia, you're not that obtuse,' he laughed. 'You've seen the way he looks at you.'

'He looks at me the same way you do,' Rukia huffed and Ichigo shot her a look that was hard to read, 'What's your point?'

'When they were getting the lodgings ready for Yukio and I, I got to crash at Renji's. He kept muttering your name under his breath in his sleep.'

'That, doesn't mean anything,' Rukia frowned, they'd started walking again and she kicked a stone across the path. Two people who were walking down the street towards them gazed at the stone curiously and started chatting to themselves and Rukia sighed.

'I'm just giving you a heads up, he seemed pretty keen to ask you out first too, I had to fight him for the privilege, remember?' Ichigo reminded her.

Rukia felt a twisting sensation in her stomach. She'd thought this stupid project wouldn't be complicated at all. It was just sex. She hadn't realised or even considered the fact that there may have been underlying feelings associated with the Alpha's and Omega's involved that would be dragged up as a result. Rukia thought about Renji and knew she cared for him. They'd grown up together, but Renji was much more like a brother to her.

Rukia didn't like this, didn't like having to analyse her feelings for the people around her. She didn't like having to think of them as anything more than friends or consider the possibilities of what would happen if this project went wrong. Rukia wasn't prepared to lose her friends over this, or drive a wedge between them.

'How did Byakuya react?' Ichigo asked, pulling Rukia from her spiralling thoughts. Rukia started and it took her a moment to process his question, as the bright gold light crept further along the skies to meet them. From somewhere above them a bird called out into the silent warm air and took flight, drawing Ichigo's attention as he waited on Rukia's response.

'Nii-sama was concerned,' Rukia sighed, 'he dislikes that he couldn't protect me from this.'

'Did you want to be protected from it?' Ichigo asked.

'Well I do not mind,' Rukia shrugged. It was partly the truth… she hadn't minded before but the conversation with Ichigo about Renji had suddenly made her realise what she could lose on the back of this. 'No matter what happens though we'll still be friends right?'

Ichigo's dark eyes met hers. His brows furrowed in the centre, the crinkle in his forehead the only observation of the deep contemplation as he tried to read whatever tone she'd spoken the words in.

'Of course,' he said finally, his words slow like he was measuring them, 'Why wouldn't we be?'

Rukia visibly relaxed under the reassurance and Ichigo's frown deepened.

'I just, don't want to lose friends over this,' Rukia admitted.

'You won't, at least you won't lose me. I can't speak for anyone else,' Ichigo shrugged. 'Are you scared of losing Renji?'

'I'm scared of losing everyone,' Rukia sighed.

'I didn't realise that you and Yukio were such good friends,' Ichigo teased and Rukia shoved him. He took two steps to the side and laughed, the sound echoing off the pastel walls of the buildings around them.

'I think Nii-sama would hate if I ended up with you,' Rukia said.

'What? Why?' Ichigo actually sounded hurt at her words and Rukia had to work hard to keep her grin hidden from her face.

'Because you're such a pain in his ass,' Rukia said her mask almost slipping as she bit her bottom lip.

'Is that because I call him Byakuya instead of Captain Kuchiki?' Ichigo asked.

'Well yes,' Rukia sniggered behind her hand. Ichigo shot her sideways glance as she continued, 'But also because you're just a disrespectful person in general.'

'How am I disrespectful?' Ichigo was clearly getting insulted now.

'You refuse to call anyone by their titles, you goaded him in your battles, you just goad him in general to be honest,' Rukia shrugged.

'That's just bullshit,' Ichigo huffed, 'what have I gotta do so he'll let me have kids with you? Give him flowers?'

'Who said I was going to let you have kids with me?' Rukia shot Ichigo a look of utter offence. Ichigo rolled his eyes at her.

'Flowers or do I have to marry you?'

'Both,' Rukia laughed, 'both is good.'

'You're such a little midget. I bet that's it, is it? Titles? Would he prefer it was Captain Hitsugaya who got to knocked you up?' Ichigo crossed his arms and ticked his eyebrow.

'Probably,' Rukia shrugged, 'though you've got way more titles than Captain Hitsugaya, but Captain Hitsugaya is much more charming than you are.'

'He is not!'

'He's mature.'

'He looks about twelve years old-'

'He calls people by their titles.'

'Titles are stupid-'

'He's much more attractive too.'

'Okay now I know you're just lying,' Ichigo laughed and Rukia grinned up at him. It was good to hear him laugh again. The carefree sound was one she didn't have the pleasure of hearing from him that often.

They laughed as they walked along the path together and stopped just outside Ichigo's house. Rukia felt the tightening in her chest. She hated this road, this was where she'd once had to say goodbye to him. That goodbye had been so difficult.

Ichigo seemed to be thinking along the same lines, he'd gone quiet as he gazed up at the building.

'Whatever way this goes,' Rukia said, 'I hope we retain our friendship.'

'Always,' Ichigo said, his eyes flickering down to her.

Rukia smiled warmly up at him, her eyes taking in the sight. His skin looked much darker in the setting sun, casting shadows from his collar across his chest were he'd unbuttoned the top few buttons.

'Good,' she nodded her head, 'we should go back. I promised to meet with the other Omegas before it got too dark.'

Ichigo nodded and Rukia drew out her sword, twisting it in the air to reveal the gated doors of the senkaimon. They slid open and the two souls stepped through, the vivid orange light of Karakura to be replaced by a darker dusk of the Seireitei. Rukia glanced around the arches, where the lamps had been lit and turned to Ichigo.

'I'll see you again soon?' she asked and he smiled.

'Of course.'

There was a beat of awkwardness, where Rukia stood there staring up at him, watching the emotions flicker across his face. Eventually Ichigo seemed to decide on something and stepped toward her.

'Goodnight, Rukia,' he said and he leaned down. Rukia closed her eyes, prepared to feel his lips on hers but they made contact with her cheek instead. His lips lingered, scorching her skin before he leaned away and straightened back up. Rukia opened her eyes and gazed back up at him.

'Bye Ichigo,' she whispered as he turned and began to walk away.

Rukia stood watching him for some time before she remembered she had somewhere she needed to be. With great effort she encouraged her legs to turn and actually carry her in the direction of the restaurant.

••✼••

The space was filled with the warm homely scent of Omega's as Rukia reached the right restaurant. She felt her entire body relax in a way it only did when it knew she was completely safe. The Anzen was one of few Omega only bars and restaurants in the Seireitei. A place where Omegas could go and eat in peace without having to worry about being hit on by Alpha's. There were plenty of Alpha only places too where the brutish could congregate and chat sports and drink themselves silly.

The Anzen felt safe. It was a large building, made of ancient looking wood with hot springs out the back. Omega's could sit inside at the little booths and order food and drink or go and socialise with each other out in the warm water. It was another of those annoyingly true characteristics of the dynamics that Omega's loved being kept warm. Thankfully for Rukia, that wasn't entirely the case.

'Rukia!' Lieutenant Matsumoto shoved her hand up into the air and waved enthusiastically in her direction.

Rukia wove between the tables, people glancing in her direction given her attire as the Omega's at the table slid to make room for her.

'Ohhh, Rukia you look so pretty,' Kiyone sighed happily as Rukia slipped onto a seat beside Lieutenant Ise.

'Thanks,' Rukia felt the heat creeping up her cheeks and picked a menu up to try and hide behind. She wasn't prepared for it to be snatched out of her hands by Lieutenant Matsumoto whose eyes were boring into her like a hawk who had just spotted a mouse in a field.

'Details, now, _go!' _she said.

'What?'

'The date, Rukia,' Lieutenant Matsumoto said with a suffering eye roll, 'we want all the details of it, now.'

'We just watched a movie and went for a walk,' Rukia scowled at the table and folded her arms across herself, 'so all I've had to eat is popcorn, I'm starving.'

'We already ordered for you,' Lieutenant Hinamori said, 'or at least, Rangiku ordered for everyone.'

Lieutenant Matsumoto's face contorted for a moment like she wanted to say something to Hinamori but decided against it.

'Did he kiss you?' Kiyone asked and Rukia felt the heat deepen on her face.

'Oh my gosh, you did?' Matsumoto leaned over the table into her personal space. The women's well-endowed chest seemed to engulf the precious inches of air around Rukia's head.

'Not really,' Rukia said, throwing a look toward Lieutenant Ise who seemed to be looking at her with a mixture of pity and concern.

'Not really?' the third seat asked.

'He kissed me on the cheek,' Rukia shook her head, 'Ichigo and I aren't like that.'

'Well Toshiro and I will be kissing on _our _date,' Lieutenant Hinamori said.

'Has he asked you out then, Lieutenant?' Rukia asked, glad for a topic change even if it did seem to turn the tenth division Lieutenant various shades of purple.

'Not yet,' the dark haired Lieutenant responded.

'No, because he asked me out, and stop using titles Rukia, we're not in work,' Rangiku snapped. Rukia watched as Momo fired Rangiku a look of deep loathing over the table.

It appeared there was some drama going on and it seemed to centre entirely around the tenth division Captain.

'Captain Hitsugaya asked you out?' Rukia asked turning to Rangiku.

'Yes,' Rangiku flipped her long strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder, nearly hitting Momo in the process. 'He asked me this morning.'

'Yukio and I have already gone out on our date,' Kiyone said and the entire table turned to gaze at her in shock for withholding such vital information.

'Wait, why didn't you tell us this?' Rangiku asked waving her arms dangerously. Rukia moved her glass of wine away from the display to rescue the calories, since she couldn't be sure food was on its way.

'Well I thought I'd wait for Rukia,' Kiyone shrugged.

'What was it like? What did you guys do?' Rangiku asked, now very clearly interested.

'He took me to an arcade, I wasn't very good but we had fun, he showed off,' she shrugged and Rangiku blinked at her.

'Did he kiss you?' Nanao asked the question with a hint of a smile behind her own glass.

'No, I kissed him though,' she stated simply and the Omega's around the table stared at the third seat with a mixture of amazement and amusement.

'Way to go girl,' Rangiku chuckled.

'It's good not having to conform to the social norms,' Nanao nodded, 'why do Alpha's always need to be the ones to make the first moves?'

'Toshiro will make the first move on me-'

'Did Ichigo kiss you on the cheek Rukia or did you instigate that situation?' Rangiku cut across Momo who scowled into her drink.

Rukia wasn't sure whether to feel sorry for Momo or amused at the situation. She was still grinning at Kiyone who had gone a slight shade of pink behind her glass of wine.

'Ichigo kissed me,' Rukia said with a sigh.

'What's with the sigh?' Rangiku asked, 'did you not want him to? Did you want him to kiss you on the lips instead?'

'I don't know,' Rukia shrugged, 'I dislike having to think of my friends this way. It just feels so awkward. Ichigo feels like family, it just feels strange… like I'm being forced to look at him differently.'

'That's an interesting point, you and Ichigo do have a lot of history together,' Nanao said, her dark brows pulling together in concern before her eyes flickered to Rangiku's, 'What about you and Captain Hitsugaya? Do you think this will affect your working relationship?' she asked. Rukia turned to give Rangiku her full attention. It was a very good question.

'Nah,' Rangiku waved the question off with an air of total indifference.

'Of course it won't, Toshiro and I were made to be together,' Momo said, clearly hurt by the direction that the conversation went.

Rangiku's nostrils flared.

Rukia could see a bull about to charge and she held her breath.

'Actually, yeah it will. Toshiro is a total hottie and I plan on riding him until we've got at least six kids, maybe seven.'

There was a beats silence around the table.

Rukia felt her eyes fly to Momo's at the same time as Kiyone and Nanao likely did too. The girl in question was staring at Rangiku with her mouth open.

'I mean Toshiro is small but he's been well _gifted _if you get my meaning, been in a few compromising situations before with him and seen it. He hides it very well.'

'Rangiku!' Kiyone squeaked and Nanao tried to hush her loud friend because she'd spoken less quiet than they'd have liked for such a discussion. Rukia wasn't even sure how to react, she wanted to laugh, wanted to cover her ears against the information she was sure wasn't actually true.

The desired effect was achieved.

Momo stood up from her seat, her eyes full of angry tears.

'You're such a slut, Rangiku,' she wailed and turned on her heel and fled from the restaurant.

'Oh well,' Rangiku shrugged, 'more food and wine for the rest of us.'

As she said it she took Momo's glass of wine and tipped it into her own glass which was almost empty.

'Shouldn't someone go and make sure she's okay?' Rukia asked but stopped abruptly at the sight the rest of the women gave her.

'You honestly have no idea do you?' Rangiku asked with a chuckle.

'What do you mean?' Rukia replied.

'I only know part of this story too Rangiku,' Kiyone said turning her gaze to the tall woman beside her.

'Momo is such a manipulative bitch, my Captain really despises her,' Rangiku shrugged and Rukia felt the shocked look cross her face.

'What?'

'Momo and him grew up together, cousins but even back then she had a thing for him. She was the reason he got taken in by their gran and she used that against him. Threatened to tell their grandmother that he would touch her inappropriately if he didn't go out with her.'

'WHAT?' Rukia felt the shock on her own face.

'It gets worse,' Nanao whispered.

'When she finally left for the Seireitei, Toshiro thought he got away from her. He presented as an Alpha while staying with his gran but that was also when his spiritual pressure started to become too much. He tried to supress it because he didn't want to enter the Seireitei after Momo, he wanted to live away from her. But when his gran got really ill I intervened and found him. I made it clear he had to join or risk killing her.

'Toshiro has never been one to chat about his feelings but I could tell, even then, something more was going on. He joined, progressed quickly and despite Momo trying to manipulate him into her division he joined mine instead. One night Momo blackmailed him onto another date and when he came home in such a foul mood he finally told me everything. He was scared that she was going to present as an Omega which is exactly what happened and started to hold that against him too.

'Fast forward several years and here we are, Toshiro has managed to build himself up a reputation that makes it very difficult for her to blackmail him with. She's tried and even wrote letters to his gran who wrote back calling Momo out on her lies and told Toshiro she was proud of him. He was the only one out of the two who regularly goes to visit granny.

'Anyway, that brings us here and now where Momo is utterly convinced that she can use this project to lock him down forever. She's over the moon with it and I've never wanted anything more than for a comet to come and kill someone I swear.'

'Rangiku, we don't want her dead… just… don't want her to end up with Captain Hitsugaya at the end of this,' Nanao scolded lightly.

Rukia was left processing everything Rangiku had said as several waiters arrived with their food. There were loads of little mini dishes that it made sharing easy and as the girls got stuck in Rukia was lost in thought.

'I honestly can't believe it,' Rukia said with a frown, 'I mean, I knew something was going on but I had no idea it was blackmail and manipulation.'

'Yeah it's bad,' Kiyone said with a frown.

'My dream, would be that one of you gets matched to my Captain,' Rangiku said with a sigh.

'What would you do if you got matched with him?' Rukia asked tentatively.

Rangiku shrugged, swallowing her chicken as she contemplated, 'I suppose that would still be better than Momo.'

'Anyone is better than Momo at this stage,' Nanao sighed. 'Could you imagine how much she'd manipulate him and blackmail him if she had his child?'

Rangiku shuddered and her eyes turned pleadingly toward Rukia and then onto Kiyone.

'God I hope it's one of us, Toshiro doesn't show it, but he's a huge softie and he's always wanted to be a father.'

'Seriously?' Kiyone asked.

'Yeah, he doesn't admit it, but I've seen the parenting books he has checked out now hidden in his desk drawers. He's even checked a book out on looking after a pregnant Omega mate,' Rangiku smiled fondly.

Rukia had never thought of Captain Hitsugaya as anything more than a stoic and icy Captain, but hearing all this was making her see him in a new light. She suddenly had a vision of Toshiro chasing a baby around his office while trying to get his paperwork done. Then she thought of Momo and a searing hatred rose in her.

'Not Momo,' Rukia nodded, 'no way.'

'Exactly,' Rangiku said with a sinister smile.

'So anyone of us?' Kiyone asked.

'Yeah, even myself if I have too, thought it might make our work a little more challenging,' Rangiku shrugged, 'But we'd cross that bridge when we got there.'

Rukia thought about how those two would get along, how easy it would be for Rangiku to put off doing paperwork if she had a little one to look after. Then she had to appreciate how strong a baby of the ice and fire element could become and she found herself enjoying the meal as talk turned to babies, making every Omega around the table feel incredibly broody.

The atmosphere lifted significantly and Rukia relaxed, it was easy to call these women friends now that she realised they were going to be taking a long and complicated journey together. At the back of her mind doubt prickled, she wasn't sure how her date with Renji would change their relationship, but she was interested in learning more about Captain Hitsugaya and even Yukio.

••✼••

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	3. Nesting Omegas

**Massive thanks to ****BlindSaya****, ****MikeRyder16****, ****Redly1024****, ****suki kuran****, ****Nejes****, ****DreamedSilverWings**** and ****Rawring Ryu**** for taking the time to review and read last chapter! **

**This ones for all of you!**

••✼••

When Rukia woke up the next morning it felt like nothing had changed. Her body felt the same, the temperature of the room felt the same and the scents in her nest filled her nose the same. Rukia twisted into the covers, nuzzling down into them, the scent of her brother washing over her. Byakuya regularly made the trip to visit her for tea, and would always present her with a gift for her nest. Often during his visits, Byakuya would also scent various objects for her. Though it was seen as a little taboo by the nobles, they'd fallen into the routine and Rukia was grateful for it. A nest without scented items from family often felt incomplete, especially when that family was still alive and present.

Byakuya wasn't the only person who would supply Rukia content for her nest. Working closely with Kiyone, Rukia had started to exchange scented gifts with the young third seat too. It provided an extra layer of support to her nest and Rukia hoped that Kiyone felt the same being surrounded by the scent of her Lieutenant. Captain Ukitake was now also graciously giving donations. It had started when he'd noticed his things going missing around the office… when he worked out what was going on, he didn't call any formal meetings about the issue, instead he'd just started randomly "leaving" scented items in the office for them.

They'd both appreciated it.

Rukia turned now, caught one of the pillows filled with his honey and wooden like scent and sighed into her room. It was that morning battle once again to get up. The daily war she fought.

Rukia opened her eyes and stretched her hands out directly in front of her. The air outside her nest was deliciously cold and she shuddered in pleasure before slipping out of the small entrance she'd permitted herself.

A cold shower later and Rukia was making her way toward the office, fully intent on having her morning cup of tea there. The dewy morning rays lightly tipped the buildings of the Seireitei and the only noise other than the soft padding of her feet was the aubade of the birds that nested in the trees beside the barracks. Rukia turned the corner and slid her key into the office door, noticing that it was already unlocked. She pushed the door open and stepped into the space. It was empty but a kettle had recently been placed over the fire in the corner. Rukia glanced around as she walked further into the space, her Captains scent still lingered in the air, making her feel relaxed as she sat down at the desk and pulled some of the paperwork towards her.

She'd made it through the first sheet when the old metal kettle started to whistle with steam. Rukia stood and pulled it away from the fire, setting about making two cups just as Captain Ukitake entered the room.

'Ah, good morning Rukia,' he said fondly as he moved over to the couch and sat down on it.

'Good morning, Captain,' Rukia replied placing his tea down in front of him.

'Do you have any more dates today then?' he asked with a soft smile.

'Not to my knowledge,' Rukia's mouth ticked at the corner and her Captain let out an amused chuckle.

'Rukia!' a familiar voice called and Rukia only had time to glance toward the door before it was being yanked opened. Ichigo's body now dominated the space where the door had been, framed by the rising sun outside, it made his hair seem even more fiery and fierce looking, which clashed dramatically with the big grin on his face.

'Ichigo?' she asked with a frown.

Ichigo beamed at her as he stepped in and moved to close the door behind him.

'Leave that open Ichigo,' Ukitake said standing up and taking his tea with him, 'I promised to help our fifth with something.'

The older Captain made his way out the door, but not before tossing Rukia a look that made her feel a little uncomfortable. His eyes were a little _too_ understanding_. _

'What are you doing here?' Rukia asked as Ichigo closed the door behind Captain Ukitake.

'I'm here to give you _this,' _Ichigo held up a large scroll and Rukia blinked at it. The scroll seemed to be several pages long and was sealed with the same wax seal of the first division as her previous letter had been.

'What is it?' she asked reaching out to take it from him.

'What do you think?' Ichigo shrugged but looked amused all the same. He ran a hand through his hair and continued, 'Yukio and I are now lodging in the first division quarters so they decided to make me the delivery boy.'

'Suits you,' Rukia teased as she unrolled the scroll, drowning out Ichigo's words of indignation by reading the letter aloud.

The instructions were very clear, this was the first proper test in the match making process that the Head Captain had designed. Rukia read the first page carefully. It was a test she was to complete by herself, answering each of the questions as honestly as she could. Rukia shuffled the paper and had a glance at the first sheet behind the main letter. They were pretty standard questions, asking about personality traits, likes and dislikes. The normality of them caused Rukia to quirked a brow. They reminded her of some dating app she'd once seen on Tatsuki's phone back in the world of the living.

'Are the Alpha's getting this too?' Rukia asked, holding out the sheets for Ichigo to see the list of questions. He shuffled through them and nodded slowly.

'Yeah it looks like the same questions, fuck, there's so many of them,' he groaned and handed the papers back to her.

'Not got time to do a bit of paperwork?' Rukia asked with a grin.

'No, I wanted to ask Rangiku out next,' he replied and Rukia started.

It was one of those weird moments where emotions seemed to hit you but you struggled to fathom the context of the emotions. Rukia tried to back track, she wasn't jealous, per say, just a little shocked that he'd jumped the gun so quickly when they'd only just had their date the day before?

'Isn't it a little soon to be asking other women out?' she decided to make fun of it instead.

'Hm?' he quirked a brow and blinked, 'well the Head Captain kind of made it feel like we don't have a whole lot of time for this part?' Ichigo shrugged, 'I just know if I had to pick out of all the girls I'd prefer it to be either you or Rangiku. Since we're good friends and Rangiku is…'

'Attractive?' Rukia asked and watch him grin.

'Yeah I guess, but also she came to the world of the living too, I know her more than I know the other girls,' Ichigo's shoulders rose and fell again.

'So you'd rather end up with someone you knew?' Rukia asked, genuinely curious now.

'It would feel more comfortable. I know you already know most of the Alpha's pitched forward for this project, but how would _you _feel if it ended up being Yukio?' Ichigo flipped the table. Rukia thought about it and made a face.

'I see your point,' she replied.

Ichigo nodded and stretched wide, his bones cracking as they usually did when he moved like that. Rukia walked toward the small fire burning in the corner, poked it awake and moved the steel teapot back over it. She was beginning to feel exhausted. As a soldier she'd never needed to worry about emotions. They were useless and she'd spent much of her life locking them deep down inside of her to prevent them from getting in the way of her training and work. With this project, it felt like everything was being dug up and everything felt raw and tender.

'Did Renji ask you out yet?' Ichigo asked as he leaned over her desk to examine the work she'd been doing. Rukia began pouring the hot water into the cups.

'Not yet,' she felt that twisting in her stomach again, the ball of anxiety was back. 'I don't expect him to just barge in here and ask me out on a date-'

The door was kicked widely open and Rukia started, almost spilling the tea as she turned to face the intruder. The figure in the door was nearly as tall as Ichigo himself and for a second Rukia honestly though that Renji _had _shown up to ask her on a date.

'RUKIA!' Rangiku bellowed loudly, waving her papers in the air and a very serious look on her face.

'Rangiku?' Rukia sighed, putting the now frozen pot back down on the table.

'Did you get your letter?' she asked, her eyes locking with Rukia's from across the room. Rukia could already tell this was going to be a visit where she'd get very little work done.

'Yeah, Ichigo just delivered it to me,' Rukia put the teapot back over the fire and watched the ice begin to melt, the fire making angry hissing noises at the cold surface. The flames licked up the sides, turning the frost to water and sparking out over the counter.

'Why are you not freaking out about this?' Rangiku asked, her voice a few octaves higher than normal. Rukia's eyes blinked and she turned back towards the taller woman who looked slightly harassed.

'Why are _you_ freaking out about it?' Rukia asked. It was a genuine question, she knew that Rangiku had a bit of a reputation for being melodramatic. The rumours spread mostly by Captain Hitsugaya himself but they'd had source and merit to them.

'Because,' Rangiku threw her hands up in the air and it was a miracle she still managed to hold onto the papers of her own letter as she did so. Rukia noticed, with mild curiosity, that the woman had painted her nails. 'This is our future.'

'They're just orders,' Rukia sighed, lifting the teapot back off the fire and pouring a cup for the woman who had just arrived.

'Orders?' Rangiku tugged at her hair, 'Rukia, this could end with us having a baby, a _baby, _Rukia! It's so much more than just orders. Ichigo, tell her.'

Rangiku appeared to have rounded on Ichigo who blinked up at her from his spot on the couch. It was clear that he didn't share Rangiku's level of enthusiasm for the topic but at her menacing glance and flash of her eyes he turned against Rukia.

'Yeah Rukia, we probably should be taking this more seriously,' he said.

'You're a traitor to your hormones, Kurosaki,' Rukia muttered under her breath. Thankfully he didn't hear her and Rukia brought the tray over to the table in the centre of the room. Rangiku moved around the couch and plopped herself down beside Ichigo. Rukia had to admire them sitting together, Rangiku looked worthy of Ichigo's attention more than Rukia ever would. Ichigo was an incredibly attractive guy, not that Rukia herself had noticed that, but rather that every girl in their old High School would talk about him regularly. Rangiku was easily one of the most beautiful souls in Seireitei and sitting side by side each other on her couch, Rukia realised that the office looked shabby and old in comparison. Despite that, the two souls had eyes only for Rukia.

'It's just some questions on a bit of paper Rangiku, you've got to calm down,' Rukia sighed sitting down and picking up her cup of tea. Ichigo followed suit but Rangiku's tea remained untouched.

'Rukia, honestly, these questions will likely be used to match us, personality wise, with whoever we're most compatible with,' Rangiku explained.

'I'm a perceptive person, Rangiku, I'd already worked that out,' Rukia replied with a sigh. Ichigo raised his cup to his lips to hide his smile. He'd clearly taken note of the little drop of annoyance in Rukia's tone.

'Well you're clearly not taking this seriously,' Rangiku sighed and ran a hand through her hair like Rukia was the cause of great despair, 'So the Omega's are all invited to mine tonight, we can nest and answer the questions together.'

The most interesting part of that entire sentence was the metaphorical prick of Ichigo's ears. Rukia was sure if he'd been a cat she'd had physically seen it happen. His eyes opened and he side glanced at Rangiku while lowering his cup back to its coaster on the table.

'You all nest together?' he asked.

'Hmm?' Rangiku asked leaning back on the chair and looking at him for the first time as if noticing he was there. 'Yeah, most Omega's nest together. Nanao and I do it all the time but this will be the first time Rukia will be joining us.'

There seemed to be an internal battle taking place inside Ichigo's head and Rukia couldn't help the giggle that nearly spilled through her lips as she watched the struggle happening.

'Like… in the same nest?' he felt the need to clarify.

Rangiku's eyebrows knitted together in the centre in confusion and Rukia had to bite her lip to stop herself from laughing.

'Oh,' Rangiku said, her expression clearing and her features smoothing as they relaxed, 'I get it, you're a virgin?'

Rukia nearly had to peel herself from the floor. She was thankful she'd put the cup down just seconds before Rangiku said these words because the tears were in her eyes before she could stop them and she was giggling like she'd never giggled before. Ichigo's splutters and blush as he hastened to correct the situation were _hilarious. _His dark brown eyes turned on Rukia like she'd betrayed him, meanwhile Rangiku looked innocently curious at the events as they unfolded.

'No, no I'm- that's not what I meant-' Ichigo's words didn't seem to be rectifying the situation and Rukia wasn't sure why she found it so darn funny. Perhaps it was because, for once in their friendship, he was the helpless one.

'Rukia,' he whined turning to her and looking like a kicked puppy.

'I'm sorry,' Rukia giggled, getting her control back and sitting properly back in her chair, 'Rangiku just has a way with words.'

Rangiku beamed at the backhanded compliment but Ichigo still looked rightfully indignant at the whole situation.

'No, he's not,' Rukia clarified quickly to Rangiku, 'but I'm sure he can tell you all about it on your date.'

'You're taking me out?' Rangiku asked turning and beaming at him.

Rukia smirked, after all these years, she'd not lost her wingman abilities. Ichigo tossed her a thankful look before diverting his attention back to Rangiku.

'Yeah, I am, where do you want to go?'

It turned out that Rangiku had a long list of places she loved to visit and possible date ideas she'd never managed to live out because of _"some war or another." _

Ichigo seemed happy to go along with her suggestions and Rukia actually had a few moments peace to watch how the two of them interacted. It was easy to see the attraction between the two, though from Rangiku it seemed less obvious.

Omega's were most perceptive to scent, but with everyone taking suppressants, as was customary in the Seireitei, Rukia had to rely on watching the body language. Ichigo was gravitating towards Rangiku on the couch, as men usually did when she entered the room. He was subconsciously flexing any muscle in every small movement he made. Rangiku kept running hand through her hair, pulling the strands away from the side of her neck closest to Ichigo and exposing the vast expanse of smooth untouched skin. Her scent glands remained unmarked, an invitation.

Ichigo's eyes flickered to them as they spoke and Rangiku was offering him encouraging smiles and fluttering of her eyelashes. It was easier to analyse their body language without letting her own emotions become involved, but she could feel them clawing at a door somewhere in the back of her mind.

Jealousy was present.

Though it wasn't entirely reserved for Ichigo, Rukia realised she was incredibly jealous of Rangiku. The taller Omega had such womanly features, it was hard not to be intimidated by the very sight of her. The soft baby pink she'd picked out for her nails had been meticulously applied and complimented the pink scarf she always wore around her neck. Pink and orange strawberry hair shouldn't work as well together as it did on Rangiku Matsumoto and it felt like everything she wore, she made prettier just by being the model who decided to wear it.

The squirming in the pit of Rukia's stomach didn't ease up. She was incredibly jealous of the other Omega and the emotion was irrational and ugly. If you spent your life being jealous because of another's beauty or achievements then it would likely do nothing more than hinder your own progress, both in establishment and in personal growth. Rukia knew this, her brother had taught her that a noble woman should never be jealous of another.

Rukia fought the feeling down, tried her best to lock it away and only realised that she'd been asked a question when she felt two sets of eyes on her.

'Hm? What? Sorry?' Rukia cleared her throat, feeling heat rising in her cheeks.

Rangiku giggled, 'you're so distracted,' she teased, 'maybe you are giving this situation much more thought than I'm giving you credit for?'

Rukia scowled at that but felt the flush over her skin only heat up further at her words. Ichigo's eyes were watching her softly, calculating, doing his best to try and read her as they often did when they'd worked and trained together.

'What was the question?' Rukia asked.

'I just wanted to clarify that you're okay to come and nest with us tonight?' she asked, flicking some of her long hair over her shoulder so she could meet Rukia's gaze more effectively.

'Yeah, that's fine,' Rukia said with a nod. She'd never nested with any other Omega's before and she was looking forward to it. She'd been in Kiyone's personal quarters a couple of times, but they'd never nested together. It was something that Rukia was curious to try.

'Excellent,' Rangiku beamed and it seemed to make the room brighter, she turned and winked at Ichigo, 'sorry you're not invited. No Alpha's allowed.'

'That's sexist,' he pretended to grumble into his teacup but his eyes sparkled with mirth at the delicate giggle that came from Rangiku in response.

'I'll catch you for dinner then Ichigo? Rukia I will see you after?' she asked and Rukia made a noise of affirmation as Rangiku stood gracefully and swept from the office.

••✼••

Despite the fact that Rukia got her head down into her paperwork not long after Rangiku left the office, she still found herself working later than expected. The requests had come in from the latest batch of Academy seniors, requesting they join the division and it was Rukia's job to work through them and eliminate the applicants who didn't display the right morals for their division code. The rest she would pass onto Captain Ukitake for him to make the final assessment on suitability.

She'd tucked the papers, leaving them neatly on his desk and stood in the office rubbing her eyes and trying to clear her head. Each time she blinked she could see the faces of all the people she'd had to deny. Most of them had points on their records for reckless pranks, harassment of other squad members and brawling inappropriately in corridors. They'd suit squad eleven more than the thirtieth and she was sure her Captain would agree with her choices.

One of the records in particular set her nerves on fire. A male Alpha in a rut had tried to break into the female Omega dorms in an attempt to mate with one of them. It made the hairs on the back of Rukia's neck prickle and it was one of the faces she struggled to push from her mind. He'd had a companion and the two had almost succeeded but while he'd been reprimanded the other culprit had not been identified. It meant that any of the other male Alpha's that Rukia had to approve, could have been his accomplice and that made something ugly settle in her stomach. She'd have to keep a close watch over the female Omega barracks after this next lot of recruits came into the squad.

It made her reiatsu crackle and Sode no Shirayuki shuffled nervously in response to the power that flowed through her. Rukia wished she'd been there. It struck her in that moment how much she was gasping on a fight. How much her body was prickling and wanting to show these stupid Alpha's why Omega's were so much _more. _

'Tough day?' a voice called and Rukia turned to find her Captain closing the office door, peering at her with concerned eyes.

'Forgive me Captain, I didn't mean…' Rukia trailed off because she knew that her reiatsu had spiked and prickled around the room. It wasn't professional for a seated officer, let alone a Lieutenant, to lose control like that.

'It's okay,' he replied and walked calmly toward the sofa where he sat down with a groan, 'you've got a lot going on.'

'The whole Seireitei has a lot going on,' Rukia scolded herself, 'it's not an excuse.'

His gaze was tinged with amusement, but she could also see the concern there.

'Thank you,' Rukia said.

'You do not need to thank me for doing what is morally correct,' he replied, understanding without need for clarification what she was thanking him for. If not for Captain Ukitake and Head Captain Kyoraku this entire ordeal could have been much worse for the Omega's involved.

'This is the second time you've stepped in and fought against the hierarchy to protect me,' Rukia brought her hands up to hold them against her chest as she peered at her Captain. He saw something hidden in her eyes that made his ancient gaze soften further.

'You're precious to me. You and Kiyone both,' he said fondly and Rukia smiled warmly at him.

'Thank you,' she repeated and he chuckled waving a hand.

'Stop thanking me Rukia, don't you have a dinner date tonight? I assumed young Abari or Hitsugaya would have asked you out by now.'

Rukia could feel the heat climbing her face and she shook her head.

'Ah no,' Rukia shook her head, 'not tonight.'

'Now that I think of it, I think that young Shiro-chan asked our Kiyone out,' he rubbed his chin thoughtfully and it caught Rukia's attention, 'They dated once already before.'

'What?' Rukia asked, her whole body tensing from the sudden information. Kiyone had never once told her that?

'It was a long time ago,' Captain Ukitake said kindly, ducking his head like he was worried he'd said too much, 'don't berate her for it, I don't think it lasted very long.'

'That was unexpected information,' Rukia announced as she tried to process it and think on it. Rukia realised she found it incredibly difficult to picture Captain Hitsugaya with anyone given the constant scowl that seemed to be etched permanently into his features.

'Maybe best you don't tell Rangiku that one,' the Captain chuckled softly.

'Oh yes,' Rukia glanced at the clock and sighed, she'd almost forgotten the task they'd been set and she didn't want to invade Rangiku's nest smelling like a day's hard work.

'You're free to go Rukia, you should have left hours ago,' her Captain smiled and Rukia hastily packed her things away and tidied up the desk for him.

'Thank you Captain, I will see you tomorrow,' Rukia gave him a low bow before she left the office, barely missing his call of "good luck."

Rukia had just enough time to get home and showered and fed before she was knocking on Rangiku's door.

'You're late,' Rangiku started as she pulled open the door and glared at Rukia. The taller Omega was clothed in comfortable looking loungewear, a pair of grey men's sweats hung off her waist highlighting her incredible hourglass figure. The top she had on was long and baggy and looked like it had also come from the men's section of a human world clothing store, the neck tugged to the side and flashing her shoulder. Rangiku had tied her hair up into a messy bun and reached out to tug Rukia into the warmth of her house.

'Only by one minute,' Rukia said sulkily as she kicked her shoes off and followed the woman through the hallway.

Rangiku's scent clung onto the very fabric of her furniture, the fibres of the carpet and as they made their way toward her bedroom the scent grew steadily heavier. It was charred and it burned Rukia's nose. It wasn't unpleasant but it was a little overwhelming at first. It reminded Rukia of strongly burning incense or a blast of charred BBQ air when you stand too close to the smoking wood. It made sense that Rangiku's scent was of her element as Rukia was aware elements of her scent were tied to ice.

It was biologically impossible to smell your own scent, Rukia had relied on Kiyone to give her the information, the other woman having a slightly more floral and sweet scent.

'Oh,' Rukia breathed the word out when they walked into Rangiku's room. It seemed to be based half on Western culture and half on Japanese culture. In the centre of the room dug into the floor was her bed and it completely dominated the space. Her very mattress seemed to be buried into the flooring, the dark brown wood giving way to dark red silk covers. Rangiku's nest seemed to be minimal, like she cared more about how it looked than how it smelled. The effect was dazzling, each object had been expertly placed, each velvet pillow, whether black to match the sheets and wood or a dazzling royal blue was placed just right. The odd colours pulled the eyes toward them but they too seemed to be spaced so that they weren't too busy, they were threaded throughout the nest and the more Rukia looked the more she saw.

There were scents here completely unfamiliar to Rukia which was to be expected. Though three scents she recognised, Rangiku's, Nanao's and Kiyone.

'Hi, Rukia,' Kiyone said happily. The young third seat had a white and black print nemaki on and was waving up at Rukia from her spot on Rangiku's bed. Rangiku flopped down into her nest, instantly pulling a pillow toward her and making herself comfortable. Nanao had some simple black pajamas and Rukia felt a little overdressed.

'Can I go change?' she asked and Rangiku nodded from her spot on the bed, moving aside her pile of papers to grab a magazine to lean on. She pointed the direction of the bathroom out and Rukia scurried off to escape. Rangiku's bathroom was through a door immediately from her bedroom, as was traditionally set up in an Omega's quarters. Rukia felt silly as she looked through her bag and realised what she'd brought to wear to bed. The other Omega's were going to get the wrong impression of her and Rukia was partly concerned on the matter. Finally she settled on a pair of loose black leggings and the "Nice Vibe" T shirt that Ichigo didn't know she'd stolen from him. The t-shirt slipped down her shoulder and fell all the way down to her knees, but Rukia loved it. During her time in the world of the living Ichigo had been a source of great comfort to her and she'd come to love this stupid t-shirt more than she'd admit, hence why she had to have it.

'Nice t-shirt,' Kiyone grinned as Rukia walked back into the room. Rangiku and Nanao both raised their eyes to look at her.

'Awww,' Rangiku cooed, 'Rukia, it's so big on you.'

'Yeah,' Rukia rolled her eyes to hide her embarrassment as she slipped into the nest beside the other women. The collective Omega scents engulfed her immediately and eased the tension and strain from the day from her shoulders. Rukia audibly groaned as she melted down into the covers.

'Is this your first time nesting with other Omega's?' Rangiku asked as she leaned over toward Rukia and offered her a magazine and pen. Rukia took them gratefully and nodded.

'Yeah it is, it's not exactly common place for a noble woman and the noble house sees all topics surrounding Omegas to be incredibly taboo.'

'That must be frustrating,' Nanao commented dryly as she pushed her glasses further up her nose with her index finger. Rukia made a noise of confirmation. It felt so easy to be open with the other women when their scents were surrounding her, hugging her, comforting her.

'Well, feel free to grab a pillow and make yourself comfortable, we could be here for a while,' Rangiku grimaced down at her sheets and Rukia hid her chuckle at the obvious distain the other Lieutenant still held for paperwork.

The four Omega's worked through the first few questions in companionable silence. Rangiku stretched out on her stomach with her legs in the air behind her, chewing on her pen. Nanao was sitting in the corner of the nest, her back poker straight but her legs resting over the back of Rangiku's thighs. Kiyone had her head on a pillow which was leaning against Rangiku's back and one of her legs crossed under her, the other over Rukia's calves which were stretched out in front of the diminutive Lieutenant.

Rukia liked it, the physical contact. It was cliché to say that Omega's thrived on it, but it was true. Just like women couldn't deny the biology that gave them a monthly cycle, Omega's loved and thrived on physical contact. Rukia found the task of getting through the paperwork less taxing, she felt like she was now completing it as part of a bigger project, a united one.

'Has anyone gotten to question ten yet?' Nanao snorted. The woman had a copy of the questions and was going through them out of solidarity to her Omega colleagues. Also she wanted to ensure the questions were fair and just.

'You're on question ten?' Rangiku asked shocked, 'I'm still on question two!'

'I'm on question seven,' Kiyone said and Rukia finished her answer to question nine before glancing at the tenth one that had caused the other girl to snort.

_Q10. What is your favourite flower?_

'Oh how romantic,' Rangiku squealed, clearly jumping ahead to question ten and seeing it.

'Don't you think it's giving the Alpha's an unfair advantage to court?' Nanao voiced her concern.

'I think most men could use with the help,' Rangiku huffed, 'no man ever seems to ask a woman their favourite flower anymore, they seem to just get a red rose because they think it will get them laid.'

Rukia laughed at that because she'd heard a similar complaint from other female officers.

'I agree with Rangiku,' Kiyone said and it reminded Rukia of what she'd heard earlier.

'I heard you had a date with Captain Hitsugaya?' Rukia asked the blonde haired girl. Kiyone's face instantly turned pink and Rangiku squealed and wriggled to try and get Kiyone in her sights.

'What?' she asked, 'I want all the details, now, go!'

Kiyone had been jostled into sitting up and shot Rukia a look like she'd been betrayed. Rukia smiled sheepishly back at her in apology for tossing her under the hollow.

'Well, yes, he came to the office and asked me, it wasn't that big a deal because we've dated before and-'

'WHAT!?' Rangiku looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel and Kiyone cowered under her gaze. Nanao reached out to pull the blonde haired Omega into her side, protecting her from Rangiku's wrath.

'It's not a big deal,' Kiyone squeaked.

'Why would you withhold such vital information?' Rangiku asked, waving her arms in the perfect impression of a cartoon character.

'Because- because- it was so long ago!'

'Did you two ever kiss?' Rangiku asked.

'Well yes but-'

'Did you two ever hold hands?'

'Yes but-'

'Did you two do _more _than kiss and hold hands?' Rangiku asked.

'N-No, we didn't,' she shook her head, 'we didn't get that far, it was well before he became a seated officer. We were both very young.'

'I can't believe he never told me,' Rangiku huffed sitting back on her thighs and collecting her paperwork which went flying during the revelation.

'He asked me not to tell you because he didn't want you to tease him about it,' Kiyone said.

Rangiku made a thoughtful face then sighed, she seemed to accept that she would have teased him for it, thus it was a perfectly sound excuse for why this particular topic of gossip never made it to her ears.

'Don't,' Rangiku said holding up with pen and warningly pointing it to each of them in turn, 'any of you withhold vital information like that from me again.'

'Yes, Ma'am,' Rukia chuckled under her breath.

'So how did it go?' Nanao seemed to not be able to help herself.

'It went well, we mostly caught up on things that have happened since we called it off,' Kiyone shrugged.

'Why did you call it off?' Rukia asked, curious now too and wanting to join in.

Kiyone lifted her shoulders in a shrug, 'Not really sure, just bad timing. We sort of lost touch.'

'That's a shame,' Rangiku said rolling her eyes, 'rather you than Momo.'

'Speaking of,' Kiyone said glancing around, 'where is Momo?'

'I conveniently forgot to invite her,' Rangiku said looking not the least bit reproachful at this information. Kiyone giggled and Rukia pursed her lips. She hardly expected Rangiku to invite someone she blatantly didn't like into her nest.

'Do you think Lieutenant Hinamori will be manipulating her answers to try and score higher with Captain Hitsugaya?' Nanao asked.

'Probably,' Rangiku scowled and muttered something under her breath that didn't sound particularly friendly. 'Thing is, she doesn't know the Captain. Not really. She only has this illusion of him and she will answer her questions based on that illusion.'

'What will you do if they do get paired up?' Nanao asked.

Rangiku scowled, clearly not wanting to think about the possibility.

'Murder her,' Rukia caught the two words under the woman's breath and chuckled nervously at them. She hoped for Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya's sake that he wasn't paired with Lieutenant Hinamori.

They continued on with their questions in silence once again, all that could be heard was the scratching of pens on paper and the occasional noise from Nanao about questions they had coming up. Most of them were standard, favourite colour, favourite animal, but other questions seemed to require a lot more information.

'What would you consider to be a perfect afternoon?' Rangiku read aloud to the room, 'what did you all put for that?'

'I put going for walk or having a picnic with friends,' Kiyone said, 'honestly I'm not very good at thinking of these things on the spot. I always find the best afternoons just _happen_, they're not planned.'

'I agree,' Nanao said adjusting her glasses as she stared down at her paper.

'Rukia what did you put?' Rangiku asked, 'I put shopping or drinking.'

Rukia chuckled because she could have guessed those answers, 'I put doing something unexpected or curling up with a good novel.'

'Book nerd,' Rangiku snorted at her.

Rukia tossed one of the handsome royal blue pillows at the other Omega, she caught it with a wink and tucked it under her chin.

They continued on for a long time until Nanao choked and spluttered on the tea that Rangiku had provided during a break.

'What?' Rangiku asked, flicking through the pages to glance ahead at what had caused the reaction in her friend.

'Question… twenty five, the last one… they can't, they can't be _serious?'_ came the Lieutenant's response. Rukia was curious now and flicked ahead as she was a few questions behind and read.

_Q25. Do you prefer to be dominated or be the dominating person in the bedroom? _

'That…' Rukia felt the heat rising in her cheeks.

'Is really fucking inappropriate?' Kiyone finished for her.

Rangiku shrugged and scribbled an answer to it before returning to the question she'd been on.

'Wait, Ran, you didn't answer it?' Nanao's indigent voice cracked like a whip.

'Sure I did,' Rangiku said with a shrug, 'I'm a dominating person for sure.'

'I didn't need to know that,' Rukia groaned, but she gazed at the question wondering for a long time if she should just refuse to answer it.

'I'm not answering that,' Kiyone said quickly, 'I wrote "get stuffed" in that section.'

'They'll assume that means you like to be dominated,' Rangiku said with a wriggle of her brows.

'You're disgusting,' Kiyone laughed at her.

Rukia went back and finished the previous few questions she had to answer before getting to the final question. Nanao was arguing with Rangiku in the background which made it very difficult for Rukia to concentrate.

Finally scribbling an answer to it she tucked her paper away into an envelope and sealed it. She was thankful that Nanao had Rangiku distracted so no one asked Rukia if she'd answered the question or not. At the end of the day, Rukia wanted this to potentially work out, so she was going to do it to the best of her ability like she did with everything in her life.

'So what now?' Kiyone asked as she stretched out lazily across Rangiku's lap. Rangiku ran her fingers through the smaller Omega's hair and Kiyone closed her eyes and made a soft noise of content.

'You girls are welcome to spend the night here, Nanao and I usually curl up and sleep together,' Rangiku said with a soft smile.

'Really?' Kiyone asked.

'I even have my own toothbrush in her bathroom,' Nanao said warmly and Rangiku chuckled.

'And her favourite wine in my fridge,' she replied.

'You've not drunk it yet?' Nanao asked with a surprised raise of her brows.

'Oh no I have, that's the third bottle I've had to buy to replace,' Rangiku laughed and the rest of the girls chuckled along with her.

'I think I will stay,' Kiyone said after a few moments, melting uselessly down into the nest as Rangiku continued to run her fingers through her hair, a soft rumble building in her chest.

'Rukia?' Rangiku asked, quirking a brow at her. Rukia sighed, she really did want to stay, the scent of all the Omega's combined was comforting and the nest was warm and inviting.

'I can't,' she shook her head, 'I have an early breakfast with Nii-Sama tomorrow and I don't want to be late and…'

'Smelling like three other content Omegas?' Rangiku asked with a smirk, 'we won't take offence.'

Rukia smiled sheepishly and reluctantly pulled her body from the nest to go and get changed. Rangiku walked her to the door and wished her a safe journey home, not that it was necessary. The only people who cause Rukia bodily harm were of Lieutenant rank or higher and she was sure they had much better things to do with their evenings.

She used flash step to get her home quicker though, the prickle of unease still licked at the back of her neck. Leaving a warm nest, filled with such comfortable scents only to come out in the harsh cold air of evening, left the Omega part of her feeling bruised and abandoned.

Rukia touched down around the corner from her home and pulled her keys from her uniform pocket, she crossed the grassy terrain, noticing the distant lights on in Captain Ukitake's house. It made a small wave of calm wash over her until her senses caught sight of a figure standing outside her home. He was tall, almost the same size as her front door, standing just below the balcony that dominated the second floor, blocking the moonlight that would make him more identifiable. On high alert and hand reaching for the blade of her zanpakuto, Rukia started when she recognised the voice that called out to her.

'There you are, where the hell have you been?' the voice was tinged with slight annoyance. He pushed his body away from the wall, where he'd been leaning beside her front door and moved out into the moonlight. The silvery rays caught the tall figure, clashing wildly with his dark red hair and making his tattoos stand out stark against the vivid white of his iridescent skin.

'Renji?' Rukia asked, relaxing and letting her hand fall back to her side, 'it's late what are you doing here?'

His body language was closed off, his face marred by his annoyance and his arms crossed over his broad chest.

'Been waiting for hours, you weren't home then I got worried,' her friend fixed her with a loaded stare, his brows knitting together before smoothing out and he sighed. 'Where were you?'

'With Rangiku,' Rukia said, she didn't have to answer to him and part of her didn't want to give an answer. She felt like a child being scolded by her father for returning home late.

'But you're sober?' Renji asked raising his eyebrows.

'Yes,' Rukia frowned, her arms crossing over her chest now and closing her off.

'Ah,' he seemed to realise he'd been accusingly speaking to her as though she'd done something wrong and rubbed his hand around the back of his neck, 'I came here to ask you something.'

Rukia sighed with expectation. She knew exactly where this conversation was about to go thanks to the warning that Ichigo had given her that very morning.

'What's that?' she asked, humouring him.

'Would you go on a date with me?'

••✼••

**This hasn't been proofed very well so if you spot any issues lemme know! **

**Also a wee comment is appreciated ;) Who do you guys think will end up with who?**


	4. Date Two: Disaster

**Huge thanks to Soi Yo, suki kuran, Jennifer15, Guest, Lover of Emotions, Rawring Ryu, Ice Maiden Olivier, MikeRyder16 and Erdrick the great **

**For your reviews on the last chapter! It means so much to me and really inspires me to keep writing when I get nice long reviews :D**

**Most of you seem to be really wanting the IchiRuki and HitsuMatsu ships to happen! I wonder where this will go... I wonder if any clues lie in this chapter... **

* * *

Rukia was prepared for a lot of things from this project. She expected the unexpected and knew that, with Kyoraku in charge of the whole ordeal, she'd be asked to do things that were maybe unbecoming of a Kuchiki noble woman.

The next list of instructions arrived, this time they were accompanied by both Rangiku and Nanao. It was clear from the offset whatever information was on the letter that Rukia was now unfurling, wasn't deemed as "proper" by Nanao standards.

'It's beyond ridiculous,' the Omega was searing, her angry and confused hormones easily detected in the small office space. Rukia wrinkled her nose, while Ichigo whined up at her from his place on the couch.

'The Alpha's have to do it too,' he commented.

'Yes, it's an invasion of privacy all round,' she replied.

Rukia turned away from them to focus on the letter. The instructions were very clear. She was to go and see Captain Kotetsu to get medicine to induce a heat cycle. The Alpha's and Omega's were expected to wear an article of clothing, likely a t-shirt through the cycle and then bag it and send it into the lab.

'What do you think Rukia?' Rangiku asked, flopping onto the couch beside Ichigo. Rukia could feel three sets of eyes on her as her face heated up and she scowled.

'Why Urahara?' she could barely keep the detest from her voice. Rukia and Urahara had not seen eye to eye entirely since she'd been sentenced to execution. Though Rukia had admitted she accepted his apology there was still part of her deep down that raged every single time she saw him or heard his name.

'Well it's got to go into the lab right?' Rangiku responded lazily stretching out so that her legs were forced onto Ichigo's lap and she took up the entire space of the couch. 'Would you rather Urahara and Yoruichi or Kurotsuchi?'

Rukia made a face. She trusted neither of them and secretly wished this part of the project could be handled by a female, even Captain Kotetsu herself.

'Captain Kotetsu will be overseeing it,' Rangiku said as if reading her mind and Rukia felt her shoulders relax a little.

Rukia turned to them, each one of the other souls in the room had their attention focused on her. Nanao calculating, trying to judge her reaction, Rangiku curious and intrigued and Ichigo concerned.

'We've not got a choice,' Rukia shrugged, 'so whatever.'

She tossed the letter down on the edge of her desk and ran a hand through her hair.

'Yes you do,' Nanao said with a scowl, 'you could refuse.'

'I worry what Central 46 will do to us if we do,' Rukia flinched.

Silence followed her words and Rukia walked back to her desk and sat down, pulling more forms toward her. The only way to clear her mind was to get on with work.

'I heard that Renji asked you out?' Ichigo said. Shuffling noises came from the couch where he was sitting with Rangiku and Rukia saw the strawberry blonde's hair pop into her peripheral vision.

'Well yes,' Rukia said a little bluntly given her emotions, 'We've all to go out on dates at some point right? Might as well stop being surprised by this point.'

'You're going to tell us all about it still though right?' Rangiku asked, and Rukia glanced up to see the flicker of curiosity behind her large baby blue eyes. It was incredibly difficult to deny her anything and Rukia now had a newfound respect for all the Alpha's that had ever attempted to date Rangiku Matsumoto.

'Of course,' Rukia replied, toying with the ink brush in her fingers, 'When are all the Omega's getting together again?'

'Depends,' Rangiku turned to Ichigo and smirked, 'How long will our date take?'

'As long as you want, Beautiful,' Ichigo winked at her and Rukia rolled her eyes.

'Maybe tomorrow night then?' Rangiku turned back to the girls and Nanao sighed and nodded in agreement. Rukia wasn't sure why she was feeling so possessive of Ichigo, or why the thought of him and Rangiku possibly spending the night in her nest bothered her so much. It was prickling at her skin again, that jealousy.

'Yeah tomorrow is fine,' Rukia said with a sigh.

'You and Nanao are so moody today,' Rangiku huffed.

'That's because of all the injustice in this world,' Nanao pointed out and Rukia actually cracked a giggle at the comment.

They didn't spend too long in the office before the hell butterflies arrived to let them know the drugs were ready. Deciding to do something now rather than later, Rukia made her way to the fourth division along with Rangiku.

The two bantered about what they'd be wearing on their respective dates, Rukia knew exactly what she was wearing, but Rangiku was apparently torn. She had a red cocktail dress and a baby pink one that was nearly causing a brain haemorrhage to choose between.

'Lieutenant Matsumoto and Lieutenant Kuchiki,' a cold voice drawled. The two women straightened and turned towards the doors to the infirmary. Captain Hitsugaya had just emerged, holding the door open for the women to enter.

'Hello, Captain,' Rangiku said brightly, 'did you get your rut inducing drugs?' she asked casually and Rukia watched the tips of his ears turning red.

'That's none of your business, Matsumoto,' he frowned at his inappropriate Lieutenant and Rukia smirked at the look on her face. Rangiku visibly pouted at him.

'I won't tell anyone else, we're all being forced to do this you know, might as well talk about it,' she huffed back at him.

Captain Hitsugaya raised a patient eyebrow at her and his jade eyes flickered to Rukia for a moment. There was incredulity in those deep irises and Rukia realised she could read his gaze, the subtle shift of intolerance breaking into a resigned acceptance.

'Yes,' he said simply, 'I have just picked them. I am assuming that is why you two are here.'

'Of course,' she flicked her hair over her shoulder and winked down at him. Though there was about a foot of a height difference between them, Captain Hitsugaya made up for it with his stature. His shoulders had broadened out, his jaw looked more defined. His appearance was that of a youthful male shooting toward adulthood but in the process of filling out. Rukia realised with a stab as she passed him that he was now a couple of inches taller than she was.

'Something to say, Kuchiki?' he asked, noticing the exact height difference she had. Rukia felt the heat flooding her cheeks at being caught staring and ducked her head.

'No, Sir,' she slipped inside the door to the infirmary and took a few steps further into the shade, letting it cool her heated cheeks while Rangiku and her Captain finished their conversation. Upon reflection, Rukia could see warmth in the way that Hitsugaya looked at Rangiku that she hadn't noticed before. Rangiku spoke animatedly about when she'd expect to be back in the office following this temporary heat cycle and Captain Hitsugaya seemed moderately amused, like he never expected her in the office. His grey tinged brows were lifted, the corner of his mouth ticked upward and his features smoothed into lines of amusement.

'I promise,' Rangiku finished off saying.

'Matsumoto, the day I find you at the desk doing paperwork is the day I wear a pink kimono and drink sake,' he let the door go from his hand and kept it open with his foot. Rangiku pouted at him but walked inside the building regardless.

'That's mean, Captain, you act like I don't do any work,' Rangiku huffed.

'It's factual Matsumoto,' he chuckled and Rukia watched as the lines of amusement on his face twisted and warped. His features went from amused and warm to cold and indifferent within seconds.

'Shiro-chan wait up,' a new voice called and Rukia turned to see Momo bounding down the hall toward them.

Lieutenant Hinamori's foot caught for a moment and she stumbled, but regained herself in an instant and was by Hitsugaya's side. It turned out that the Lieutenant had tripped over Rangiku's outstretched foot, but took no notice, her eyes only for Captain Hitsugaya.

'What is it Momo?' Captain Hitsugaya asked.

Rukia could actually feel the temperature of the corridor start to drop and she glanced quickly up at Rangiku. The other woman had locked her jaw, her eyes narrowed and was openly glaring at Hinamori.

'Did you want to spend this heat with me?' she asked and Rukia turned on the spot. This was not a conversation she should be privy too. It was actually a very uncomfortable topic for a Lieutenant to fire at a Captain in company of his subordinates.

Something grasped the back of Rukia's shihakusho and held her in place. The grip was surprisingly firm and Rukia reached up to try and untangle herself but Rangiku wasn't letting go.

'That's an incredibly unprofessional thing to ask,' his voice had dropped a few octaves and Rukia could hear the scowl in his words.

'I'm asking you as your girlfriend,' Hinamori chuckled and Rukia squirmed harder than ever to release herself from Rangiku's painted nails. This was not a conversation she wanted to hear and she realised too late she should have just plugged her ears.

Captain Hitsugaya's reiatsu cracked like a whip across a stone surface and Rukia practically whimpered at the scent that clung to the air. She couldn't note his exact tones due to the suppressants he took, but she couldn't mistake the emotions in it, he smelled _angry. _

'Lieutenant, meet me in my office,' without another word Rukia heard the sound of departing footsteps and whined at Rangiku once again who finally let her go.

'Why-' Rukia started, fixing her uniform and turned to glare up at the other woman.

'He might need witnesses,' Rangiku looked apologetic, 'I've been encouraging him to put in a formal complaint to the Head Captain for years now. He won't do it but he's getting closer and closer each time she pushes his buttons. He might need us as witnesses to her behaviour. I'm sorry.'

Rukia sighed and realised when it came to her Captain that Rangiku was fiercely loyal, as almost all Lieutenants were.

'It's okay,' Rukia shook her head, 'I feel so sorry for him, if this were a male Alpha displaying this behaviour toward a female Omega, they'd have been fired by now.'

'Exactly, it's completely unfair,' Rangiku scoffed and the two walked down the corridor toward Captain Kotetsu's office together.

'Come in,' the kindly voice called and Rukia pushed open the large door and slipped inside. The office had an adjacent door that lead onto the Captain's own private examination room, but the space they currently stood in was exactly like their own offices. Dark wood panelling made up the foundations and walls, her office was longer with a large portion dedicated to several filing cabinets and three couches instead of the usual one or two. Large windows let in a lot of natural light which glinted off the clean wooden surfaces and gave the wood a warm honey tinged glow, the scent of the heated wood smelled like a homely invitation, and Rukia felt herself relaxing after the exchange in the hall.

Rangiku flopped down onto the couch and let out a groan, Rukia bowed politely to Captain Kotetsu who smiled and ushered for her to sit. Rukia took a step over Rangiku's legs which were up on the table like she'd been here a million times before.

'It's good to see you both,' Captain Kotetsu said as she walked over to them with two bottles clutched in her left hand and a chart in the other.

'Don't suppose you've got anything that will knock Momo out indefinitely?' Rangiku asked.

Captain Kotetsu pursed her lips as she examined the chart.

'I'm afraid not,' she said it almost like she'd been expecting the question and Rukia bit the inside of her cheek, unsure whether she should laugh or not. It seemed that Captain Kotetsu was aware of the situation.

'What about just something to numb the pain,' Rangiku prodded.

'You know I don't keep sake in my office,' Captain Kotetsu raised an eyebrow at Rangiku, 'and if you're going to be having a baby-'

'Yeah,' Rangiku sighed with a scowl, 'It's the one part I'm not looking forward to.'

'How will you survive?' Rukia asked boldly and a little sarcastically.

The corner of Rangiku's mouth twitched but she closed her eyes as if she were in great suffering. 'I don't think I will.'

Captain Kotetsu and Rukia both chuckled before the Captain put the two bottles onto the table.

'These should induce your heats, I've got the measurements set, based on height and weight, it should last approximately an hour.'

'So not a full heat?' Rangiku asked curiously picking up the bottle that was labelled for her.

'No, we don't want it to interfere with your cycles,' Captain Kotetsu pulled an ink quill from the side of her clipboard and made some notes on the papers. Her brows were furrowed in concentration and while she was distracted, Rukia reached out and took the medicine in her bottle. It was liquid instead of a pill and Rukia swirled it curiously around in its container.

'One hour won't be long enough to get me out of work,' Rangiku pouted.

'Exactly,' Captain Kotetsu chuckled before glancing back at the women, 'Captain Hitsugaya still expects you in his office.'

'But I have a hot date tonight,' Rangiku flashed the Alpha a grin.

'Tell that to him, not to me,' she shook her head as she turned back to her desk.

'We won't take up any more of your time, Captain, thank you,' Rukia said standing and offering the woman a quick bow.

'Are we leaving already?' Rangiku asked frowning at Rukia.

'The Captain has work to do, as do I,' Rukia said raising an eyebrow at her friend. The other Omega pouted but eventually rose as Rukia made her way towards the door. She pocketed the medicine and tried to decide when she'd have time to use it. If it was just a small one hour heat, she could have it over and done with before she was expected to meet Renji that evening.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Ukitake was more than understanding when Rukia explained her situation to him. He nodded his head and she felt his ancient gaze sweep her face as he analysed the emotions behind her words. Captain Ukitake was clearly still concerned over the mental impact that this ordeal was having on the Omegas involved.

'Take all the time you need Rukia, we are ahead with the paperwork just now anyway and you've done more than your fair share of it,' his voice was facilitated by coughs and Rukia hastily moved to pour him some water. 'Young Kiyone has to take time as well, it was always understood this would be part of the process. If any of the Omegas get pregnant there will be a lot of the workload they will be unable to do.'

Rukia nodded at these words. There were a lot of physical aspects to their job, even just transporting paperwork between divisions for dual signatures involved a lot of shunpo. This was often done by higher ranking officers too, since the lower ranking officers were yet to learn how to do this.

Rukia could hardly see a heavily pregnant Omega jumping from rooftop to rooftop to deliver some paperwork, the idea was absurd and poor Ukitake would have to find someone who could help him.

'What are we going to do with the division, Sir, if both Kiyone and I become pregnant?' she asked.

Captain Ukitake considered her for a moment, his gaze full of a deep fatherly affection it made Rukia feel safe and warm.

'We will just need to appoint some new seated officers and try our best to get them up to scratch,' he smiled warmly and Rukia grinned. They'd been skirting the topic since so many of their seated officers had fallen during the war, but there were plenty of candidates up for taking the positions. It would require quite a lot of work, but Rukia knew she could later relax in her potential pregnancy knowing that the division, and her Captain, were being taken care of.

'I will put out the applications tomorrow, Sir,' she said with a nod of her head. Captain Ukitake beamed at her and Rukia made her way back to the desk to pack away her things. First she would have to induce this temporary heat and submit the t-shirt she wore through it into the laboratory.

'Good luck with your date tonight, Lieutenant,' Captain Ukitake called after her. Rukia smiled at him and bowed low in farewell before sweeping from the office. She couldn't help feeling like each day her 'to-do' list grew longer and longer.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

Rukia did not prep her home the way she would for a normal heat. A normal heat would last anywhere from 3 hours to 12 hours depending on the soul. Rukia's heats normally lasted around 5 to 8 hours but involved a lot of pre and post nesting habits that she wasn't proud to admit.

Normally her home would be made spotless, her nest deconstructed and reconstructed until it was pure perfection and extra sheets scented by Byakuya or Kiyone were often added. Rukia felt the need to do none of this, mostly due to a lack of time but also because a one hour long heat didn't feel worth it. Instead she simply put fresh sheets on the bed, ensured she had something to drink and turned on the hot water for a bath afterwards. When all that was prepared, Rukia swallowed the medication.

She felt it kick in within a few moments. Rukia twisted in the sheets and desperately wished she could discard the t-shirt she wore. The nest was warm, and the sweat gathered around her middle, in between her breasts and the scent glands on her neck begun excreting. Her heart was hammering in her rib cage but she felt odd, it felt wrong. With a groan she turned herself over and stared up at the ceiling. Her body knew that this wasn't a real heat, it wasn't a normal part of her cycle and it was leaving her feeling more ill than turned on.

The blood rushed passed her ears and as she tried to push herself up to get a drink of water, the room spun. She raised one of the cold bottles to her head and lurched over the edge of her nest, if she was going to be sick she didn't want it to be in her sheets.

Rukia stilled with one clammy hand clutching the table beside her bed and the other on the bottle of water now pressed against her temple. During a normal heat, her skin would feel hot, but it would be a luke warm, like the temperature of a bath you ran for a new-born baby. This heat was nothing like her normal heats. It felt like her skin was being branded by hot irons and instead of rolling in gentle waves down her spine it clung to her skin, giving her no relief.

'Fuck,' she groaned, lurching like she was going to vomit again and slipped out of her nest. Rukia had never taken a drug to induce a heat before, she knew they existed and were used to help women fall pregnant but Rukia couldn't imagine anything less sexy than this. Her t-shirt now clung to her and she wobbled her way into the bathroom.

Her reflection caught her by surprise. Rukia gazed into the bathroom mirror. Her face was flushed as if during a normal heat, but under her eyes saw dark pink circles appearing under them and she groaned. If this was some kind of sick joke, it wasn't funny.

Rukia growled and climbed into the bathtub, pressing her flaming skin against the cool ceramic of the white surface, doing anything for relief against the heat.

Four times she nearly threw up and was pleased she'd come away from her nest. She found it odd that she could even _be _away from her nest. If this had been a proper heat, even if she'd been ill she would still have wanted to stay inside the security of her blanket fortress.

Relief washed over her when she realised that the drugs were flushing from her system and she peeled the soaking t-shirt from her skin and threw it onto the bathroom floor before stepping into an ice cold shower. Next to sitting down under an icy blast of exceptionally cold water and drinking as much water as she could, Rukia felt significantly better after ten minutes.

'Well that fucking sucked,' she mumbled to herself, stepping out and shaking the water from her bare legs. It had been pointless putting the hot water heater on after all. Rukia usually craved a warm soak in her bathtub after her usual heat cycle but that had felt much more like torture than a heat cycle. She still felt shaky on her legs and wrapped a towel around her torso. The fabric felt rough on her skin, like she was sensitive all over and with a scowl she eventually ripped it off and let her body drip dry as she pulled the towel through her hair.

From her bedroom came a buzzing noise and she blinked in confusion before marching through and finally locating the little soul phone which she'd been passed when she'd gone to the world of the living. It flashed up with a message instructing her to drop off her shirt to Captain Kotetsu.

'_I was going too,_' she thought to herself. Not trusting the laboratory or Urahara at all.

Rukia frowned, it made her uncomfortable and made her skin prickle to know the message came in directly after her heat was over, like they'd known or had been watching. She glanced around her room and changed quickly after that.

When she walked back into the bathroom it was to be hit with the scent of heat very potently. She clasped a hand over her nose, normally she could never smell her own heat hormones. The t-shirt was bagged and sealed and she threw open the windows to create a through draft to get rid of the scents.

Trying not to think too much about it, she managed to eat a few pieces of fruit, drunk some more water and made her way out in the direction of squad four. Thankfully with each passing moment, she felt more and more like it had been a bad dream than something that had actually happened to her.

Rukia dropped down outside the now familiar building and made her way toward the Captains office. Just as she arrived she heard voices from inside the room. Not wishing to eavesdrop Rukia knocked on the door and took a few steps back.

'Who is it?' the voice of Captain Kotetsu called.

'It's Lieutenant Kuchiki,' Rukia called. There were some hushed murmurers inside the office and then the door was opened and a beaming Rangiku stuck her head out.

'We have to stop bumping into each other like this,' she said with a giggle and Rukia rolled her eyes.

'Are you dropping off your sample too?' Rukia asked stepping into the office space, her eyes on the taller woman.

'Yeah, just dropped it off, how did your heat go?' she asked and Rukia made a face.

'Awful, I ended up stripping in the bathroom and spending it in the bath, I wanted to throw up the entire time,' Rukia started then blundered to stop when she spotted another figure in the corner. Captain Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow at her and Rukia felt the heat creeping up her chest and over her cheeks.

'Toshiro was the same,' Rangiku said with a frown and glancing back to Captain Hitsugaya who scowled at her.

'I didn't strip naked and end up in the bath,' he said dryly, 'but I did nearly throw up.'

'Oh god,' Rukia covered her face with a hand, 'I thought it was just the girls in here, that was a really inappropriate thing to say in front of a male Captain.'

'Nothing about this is appropriate, Kuchiki,' Captain Hitsugaya said, though he did look a little flustered at the topic. The other ice wielder turned back to Captain Kotetsu. 'I trust you more than anyone else working on this, you'll ensure they don't abuse their position and use these garments for anything else?'

'You have my word,' Captain Kotetsu said with a sharp nod of her head.

'Then I will take my leave,' he pushed off from the wall but even Rukia saw the way his steps faltered for a moment, like he was still a bit shaky on his feet.

'I wonder if it's because of your ice element?' Rangiku said as he swept from the room, 'the drugs didn't bother me or Momo too much, but they did seem to harshly affect both you and Toshiro.'

'Captain Hitsugaya,' Captain Kotetsu corrected her, picking the bagged item that Hitsugaya had left on the table and slipping it into a larger black bag.

'Yeah, yeah,' Rangiku rolled her eyes with a chuckle and handed over her own bagged item. Rukia stepped forward next and handed hers over.

'That's got to be the tiniest t-shirt ever,' Captain Kotestu chuckled, 'I think all of the Alpha's are going to know who that one belongs too.'

'Could be Kiyone's,' Rukia said defensively.

'Not if it's a Western style t-shirt,' she corrected and raised her eyebrows turning the clear bag over in her hands, 'what's an ACDC?'

'Best rock band in the world,' Rukia frowned, how could so many of the souls be so out of touch with the world of the living?

'I will take your word for it,' the Captain chuckled and put the clear plastic into her bigger bag, marking something off against a sheet on her desk.

'What happened to Hitsugaya and I?' she finally asked and Captain Kotetsu paused and glanced up at her.

'Is Rangiku right, are we the only two who got sick?' she asked.

'As far as I am aware, I have not seen everyone since the drugs were handed out, but you and Hitsugaya responded poorly to the drugs,' she made a face, 'my apologised, Rukia, when they were created we modified them slightly for this. We only needed the heats to last an hour and we wanted as much of your scent to infuse with the fabrics you wore as we could, so they may have been modified to raise your core temperature more.'

'To make us sweat more,' Rukia nodded, 'it makes sense.'

'We just didn't anticipate what it would do ice elemental Shinigami, I'd have tested them myself first but there was very little time.'

'It's okay,' Rukia shook her head, 'I am feeling significantly better now anyway.'

'Rest assured if you select a mate when this is all through we will wait for a normal heat cycle if you wish or go back to the old drugs that were more roughly tested.'

'Thanks,' Rukia smiled and turned to look at Rangiku who was smirking.

'You know where this is going right?' she asked. Rukia frowned and blinked at her.

'Captain Kotetsu just said that the Alpha's would be able to guess, so we must all be giving each other's clothing a good sniff,' she laughed and Rukia felt the heat creep up her face.

Oh… _oh no_.

She turned back to Captain Kotetsu as if hoping the Alpha would deny it but she continued to scribble on her pad.

'But-but,' Rukia choked on her own embarrassment, 'That's so _wrong.' _

'What did you think they were going to do with them?' Rangiku asked quirking a brow.

'I don't know,' Rukia felt flustered now, the thought of each of the Alpha's getting to smell her… to smell…

Rukia covered her face with her hands and groaned into them.

'It could be worse, we'll be getting to smell theirs too am I right?' Rangiku asked turning to look at Captain Kotetsu who nodded. 'So it's all good, shared embarrassment and all that.'

'What if no one likes our scents though, what if one of us is so repulsive?' Rukia could feel her heartbeat picking up speed again. The scent one let off during a heat was an incredibly personal scent, and it should only be smelled by a mating partner. It was pure sex bottled up into a single perfume and Rukia was sure they'd just run it through a machine and extract results but not _this_.

'Rukia,' Rangiku rolled her eyes and spoke with an air of a woman trying to hold onto her patience, 'they're male _Alphas, _biologically it's not possible for them all to be repulsed by your scent. Calm down.'

Rukia couldn't help the self-conscious feeling that had spread over her. She hated it, she hated that it was something completely outside her control. When it came to attraction there were many things you could do to attract a mate, change your hair style, wear something flattering, workout… but when it came to pure scent of a heat, there was nothing you could do to change that. It was stuck on you, like a birth mark and you were left hoping others would just accept it… that a future partner would learn to love it.

'Man, have you always been so self-conscious?' Rangiku asked, tugging Rukia by the arm to drag her out the room.

'Yes,' Rukia groaned but allowed herself to be removed. They said goodbye to Captain Kotetsu and made their way down the hall back in the direction of the exit.

'I can't imagine what that must feel like,' Rangiku teased and Rukia glared up at the woman who just winked at her. 'We all feel self-conscious Rukia, just remember, we're in this together.'

Rukia tried her best to relax at these words and let a long low sigh escape her lips.

'Next up, date time, Ichigo is taking me out for a night of food and fine wine,' Rangiku sighed happily and Rukia smiled at her.

'Renji is… I don't even know where we're going,' Rukia said thoughtfully.

'Well you can't go out in your uniform,' Rangiku pointed out with a chuckle, 'come back to mine and we can get ready together.'

Getting ready with Rangiku Matsumoto was a mission that Rukia felt very underprepared for. The woman was chaotic in her approach and it felt like she'd removed the entire contents of her wardrobe in preparation for finding the perfect outfit. They finally had it narrowed down to three choices, and Nanao and Rukia were both sitting on Rangiku's bed eating some chocolates that a low ranking officer had tried to court Rangiku with. Rangiku had pulled out the red dress she'd spoken to Rukia about earlier, but the pink one had been discarded in favour of a skimpy black piece and an elegant green jumpsuit.

'The red is perfect,' Nanao said, 'Red has always looked good on you Ran.'

'But is it slutty enough?' Rangiku asked running a hand through her hair. Rukia felt a stab in her chest and rolled her eyes.

'He's a man, Rangiku, not a hormonal driven bison, wear the red dress. You look stunning in it and Ichigo will love it on you I promise.'

'You know him best,' Rangiku said tilting her head back to look at Rukia upside down from her position on the floor where she'd slumped, ready to give up.

'Yes,' Rukia didn't deny it and shook her head, 'if you wear something too slutty he will just be even more intimidated by you. You want him at his best, Ichigo has never cared for women's assets, if that were the case he'd have dated Orihime long ago.'

'That's true,' Rangiku said blinking and glancing back at the mirror.

'The red one is perfect, Ran,' Nanao repeated. Rukia smoothed out a crumple on the edge of her purple dress that she'd selected easily almost an hour beforehand.

'The red it is,' Rangiku finally settled and got changed in front of them. Rukia adverted her eyes and turned toward Nanao who was reading a book and putting another chocolate in her mouth.

'You've nearly tanked that box,' Rangiku teased and Rukia smirked at Nanao as her face flushed and she glared up at Rangiku.

'I say nothing to you when you drink a full bottle of wine,' she huffed and Rangiku laughed.

'I was only teasing,' she turned back toward the mirror and made a start on her hair and makeup.

Renji had already come by to pick Rukia up before Rangiku was even ready. Rukia opened the door to find her tall friend standing with his eyebrows raised at the noise coming from behind her.

'What's going on?' he asked as Rukia closed the door on Rangiku's shrieking.

'She's lost her eyelash,' Rukia sighed and Renji just looked completely dumbfounded.

'Girls put eyelashes on?' he asked.

'Only Rangiku,' Rukia shrugged, she'd not met any other women in the Seireitei quite like Rangiku.

Renji shrugged and Rukia took in his appearance. He'd at least attempted to dress for the occasion but the attempted seemed hurried and half done. He wore a pair of tight form fitting black jeans and a pale blue button down shirt.

'You look good,' she commented with a smile and watched the pink creep up his cheeks. He seemed to sigh in a resigned sort of acceptance.

'So do you,' he mumbled and stepped away letting her walk beside him. Rukia frowned… she knew that Ichigo had warned her that Renji had some deep feelings of affection for her, but as they walked side by side in a somewhat awkward silence, Rukia couldn't seem to agree.

Maybe he was just nervous? She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and selected a topic of small talk.

'At least the weather has been nice,' she said and he made a noise of agreement.

He didn't even try to carry on the conversation. Rukia sighed and kept her gaze ahead of her. She realised, with a slight pang, that this was going to be a very long night.

Renji barely spoke the entire walk to the restaurant and hid behind the menu the moment they were seated. Rukia studied the back of his menu. They had to speak about this… her and Renji had been friends for years and she didn't want, whatever this silly project was, to come between them. The issue Rukia was having, was she wasn't sure where she should start?

'Renji,' she sighed after they placed their order and she reached across the table for his hand which he slipped away from her. Rukia felt the hurt flicker across her face and she pulled her hand back. 'Talk to me, what's going on?'

'Nothing,' he said, folding his arms defensively in front of him.

'I know you, and it's not nothing, you've never been this quiet in all the time I've known you,' Rukia stated.

'You Kuchiki's are all the same,' Renji huffed and Rukia watched his nostrils flare and his brows furrow.

'What does that mean?' she asked with a frown.

'Nothing,' he sighed and straightened up, 'This project is so stupid.'

'Renji, you're speaking in code,' Rukia felt her shoulders slump in defeat and she gazed at her friend, 'I don't want this causing a rift in our friendship.'

Renji studied her for a while and seemed to find something in her expression that made him huff and uncross his arms. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you.'

'You've not upset me,' Rukia said, 'just confused me.'

'So what else is new?' he joked and Rukia tried to relax. She still felt a little tense at the awkwardness that had been built but it was clear that Renji was now going to attempt to try and make this an enjoyable experience.

'That's better,' she replied and lifted the bottle of wine that was placed on their table to pour herself a glass. 'How did you get on with your rut?' she asked.

'I've not done it yet,' he ran a hand through his fringe which bounced back into his eyes. Rukia studied him, his leg was bouncing under the table and she took a tentative sip of wine.

'You know they're expecting it done by tomorrow,' Rukia said. The instructions had not been quite that clear, but any officer reading them knew that when a Head Captain wanted something done as soon as possible, it meant that day.

'Yeah,' Renji scowled, 'I'll do it tonight when we're done with this date.'

'That's forward,' Rukia said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk on her lips.

'What?' he asked blinking at her as their food was delivered to the table.

'Did you expect to use it while I'd be there?' she asked.

'What?' the blush climbed up his neck and out over his face, 'that's not what I meant.'

'Relax,' Rukia laughed, 'I was only teasing you, man, you're as stiff as my brother.'

His eyes flashed, but whatever emotion she saw there was gone in a second and he huffed out a chuckle.

'No, I wasn't saving it for you,' he rolled his eyes. The conversation continued in little bursts of small talk. Renji picked at the food on his plate but a lot of it went untouched and Rukia was left happily munching through as many items as her chopsticks could reach. She wasn't one of these women who cared much about restricting her calorie intake, she knew she did enough physical activity to burn it all off.

Renji was easily four times her size and he seemed to be eating less and less as the time went on. At first Rukia choose not to comment on it, instead she focused the topic on their divisions and paperwork, even telling him about the Academy recruits who had applied. He'd been just as appalled as she was about the male Alpha who had attempted to break into the female Omega quarters.

'Any recruit who thinks that behaviour will fly in the Seireitei will be sadly mistaken,' Renji said with a scowl.

'We both know there are divisions who will take him as long as he's fit and strong,' Rukia said with a shrug. The truth was it bothered her, but there was almost nothing she could do about it. Renji scowled his agreement and the topic changed onto something happier. He'd been hanging out with Izuru and Momo since this whole project sprang onto them. He seemed completely unaware of Hinamori's infatuation over Captain Hitsugaya, so Rukia decided it was best not to mention it.

'And we both got so drunk,' he said, sloshing the wine in his glass. 'That Izuru couldn't even make it back to his bed.'

'If you don't watch, you'll be in a similar state tonight,' Rukia said reaching out to pluck the wine bottle from his grasp. She knew that Renji loved a drink, he was regular drinking buddies with Ikkaku and Rangiku, but she still didn't wish to see him intoxicated on their "date."

'It's fine, it's fine,' Renji waved a hand at her and reached back for the wine bottle. He plucked it from her dainty fingers with ease and Rukia grimaced.

It went progressively downhill from there. With such little food in his stomach and so much more alcohol, Renji became louder and louder, ranting openly about the way the Seireitei was run and the way his own division was run. It started to irk her and Rukia couldn't help but feel like Ichigo had it wrong.

If Renji had a crush on her, or had such strong feelings for her, surely he should be trying to make this date the most memorable one she'd been on?

So far, Ichigo had him beat by a mile, and she took to reading the menu instead of listening to him just for something else to do. She'd tried coaxing him into eating a bit more food but he wasn't up for it. She couldn't even tempt him with the salted beans that were given for free alongside each meal.

'An-and another th-thing,' Renji slurred leaning across the table towards her, 'he m-moans about me coming in late but when I-I do come in an-and work on ti-time, he says I do it a-a-all wrong.' Renji's voice was slurring worse than ever and Rukia scowled at him. She was about eighty percent sure he was talking about her brother but he hadn't had the balls to mention his name. Likely in case he was overheard.

'Renji…' Rukia ran a hand down her face, 'you do realise this is a disaster right?' she decided to just be straight with him.

'What?' he asked trying to pour another glass and getting half of it on the table instead.

'This,' she flickered a hand between them, 'this date. What were you thinking? Getting wasted on a date?'

'Well ex-excuse you, Kuchiki-San,' he scowled and almost missed his mouth with his glass which really was quite the accomplishment given how big it was. 'I didn't realise I was on a-a d-date with the-the head Captain.'

'That makes no sense,' Rukia sighed in frustration, 'we both know he could drink you under the table and I'm stone cold sober.'

Renji leaned forward and knocked his glass of wine all over the table. Rukia sprung up to avoid getting any on her dress and apologised to the staff who came hurriedly over to clean the mess up.

'Come on,' she pulled him from the table after putting down enough money to cover the bill, 'we need to get you home.'

Despite the size difference, Rukia was much stronger than she appeared and she had no issues supporting his weight as they made their way back in the direction of the sixth division. Rukia didn't want Renji to get in trouble, so she decided to avoid giving her brother reason more to shout at him. Rukia pulled Renji toward his home and earned a few empathetic looks from the squad members, but absolutely no one asked her if she needed a hand.

The weight of her tall friend might not have been an issue, but the awkwardness of half dragging him certainly caused her strife. The longer and longer she spent dragging his ass through the Seireitei the more she thought about just ditching him in a bush would be easier.

'Do you need a hand?' a voice asked and Rukia blinked and turned awkwardly to see Ichigo striding towards her.

'It's just like you,' she huffed up at him, 'to come when most of the hard work has already been done.'

'I resent that,' he said it with a smirk and Rukia raised a brow.

'I thought you were on a date with Rangiku?' she asked.

'I was, I walked her back to her place and came here to see how Renji got on with his date.'

'You're such a supportive friend,' Rukia's words dripped with sarcasm and he caught the hidden meaning, laughing and seized one of Renji's arms to pull the bulk of his weight off of Rukia's shoulders.

'Better?' he asked.

'Much,' Rukia sighed and straightened up, feeling her spine groan from being contorted under her friends mass for so long. 'I bet Rangiku appreciated you being a real gentleman.'

'Well, she did invite me in,' Ichigo said.

Rukia, who had fished Renji's keys from his pocket, slipped and jammed the key into the wood beside the lock instead.

'She did?' Rukia asked, correcting herself and slotting the key in to turn it with a click.

'Yeah, but sex on a first date really isn't my style,' Ichigo said with a sigh as he pulled Renji across the threshold of the house.

Rukia scowled, the weird feeling of possessiveness squirming back inside her. 'As a straight male, I find that very hard to believe.'

'Yeah, well,' Ichigo dumped Renji onto his couch and turned him onto his side before running a hand through his own hair. 'I chickened out.'

'You-' Rukia had been about to make fun of him, but as she glanced up at him she suddenly realised how awkward Ichigo looked. He was stood, in a well-dressed shirt and slacks looking uncomfortable and fidgety. Rukia's words died on her tongue and she was reminded once again of how young Ichigo was.

'That's fair,' she finally settled, slipping into the kitchen which was combined to the living space and cracking some ice on the counter. She pulled a glass out of his cupboard and filled it with water.

'I was expected you to grill my ass, but all I get is "that's fair?"' Ichigo asked.

'Look, Rangiku is pretty attractive, I guess it's easy for women to forget that men can get nervous too,' she shrugged, 'if I was a man, Rangiku would make me nervous.'

'You got a crush on her?' Ichigo asked with a laugh putting a coaster on the table as Rukia set the glass of water down beside their passed out friend.

'She is pretty fine,' Rukia breathed and the two of them chuckled. Ichigo's eyes were crinkled at the side and his lips pulled away from his teeth in a beautiful smile.

They stared at each other for a few moments, then Ichigo blinked and the spell was broken. His hazel eyes flickered down to Renji on the couch.

'What happened?' he asked.

'Well, I don't think Renji has feelings for me,' Rukia shrugged, 'he got completely smashed and he actually acted like he was angry with me.'

'That makes no sense,' Ichigo's brows furrowed and he stared through Rukia as he contemplated her words, 'he kept calling your name in his sleep.'

'My name?' Rukia asked.

'Well, he kept calling something about "Kuchiki,"' Ichigo shrugged and stared at her again.

The metaphorical penny dropped for them and both their mouths opened in shock at the same time.

'You don't think…?' Rukia asked.

'No way,' Ichigo shook his head, 'No way, I'd have known!'

'Would you though? Would he have told you?' Rukia asked.

'Well…' Ichigo blinked and made a face, thinking really hard before releasing a sigh, 'no maybe not.'

There was silence between them after that. Nothing could be heard except the tap which dripped into a copper pan in the sink. Ichigo was gazing down at Renji, the other male gave a start, rolled and then started to snore. Rukia was looking out the window and over the gardens that Renji shared with her brother's office space.

'Don't say anything,' Rukia finally said and glanced back at Ichigo who looked at her seriously, 'Don't say anything to anyone. We might be wrong…'

Ichigo was nodding but there was an understanding between them. They knew they weren't wrong but the detriment to Renji's status could be severe if news like that ever got out.

'I'll talk to him,' Ichigo said with a nod, 'he clearly needs to get it off his chest and needs a safe space, a person he can confide in without judgement or ridicule.'

Rukia's whole being melted and she smiled warmly at him.

'You'll make a great father one day, Ichigo,' she said and he smirked at her.

'Here's hoping.'

'If you don't get _stage _fright,' she snickered and Ichigo's face flushed bright red, he spluttered adorably and Rukia cackled meanly as she ducked her way out of Renji's home.

Renji wouldn't be inducing a rut that night, which likely meant he'd be hounded by someone tomorrow to get onto the next phase of the experiment, and he'd likely be woken up early by that fact.

Rukia had almost left him a note, explaining where he was and what had happened but she figured after dragging his drunk ass back to his home she didn't owe him anything else.

Ichigo parted ways with her and made off in the direction of the first division, Rukia turned and headed for the thirteenth. The thought of the next phase of the silly project made something uncomfortable twist in her stomach and the feeling followed her all the way home.

✼ •• ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ •• ✼

The message was delivered early the next morning. Rukia was only on her second cup of tea for the day when her phone went off. She wasn't sure why they'd stopped using hell butterflies but she was somewhat thankful for it. The hell butterflies always reminded her of the time she'd been sent to execution… and how their little black wings often brought tidings that made things far worse for her.

The text that appeared on her phone told her to be at the lab in a couple of hours, said she didn't need to bring anything other than herself.

Obviously she took her zanpakuto. She didn't trust any one of them with the exception of Captain Kotetsu.

'Lieutenant Kuchiki,' the aforementioned woman greeted after Rukia knocked on the giant metal doors to the twelfth division laboratory.

'Hello, Captain,' Rukia said with a respectful bow before stepping inside.

'Rukia!' Urahara's voice washed over her and she tensed every muscle in her being. Rukia tried to keep her face and body language impartial, but she couldn't help the way her hand gripped the hilt of Sode No Shirayuki to help ground her.

'It's so good to see you,' he waved that stupid fan in front of his face and peered at her from under his hat. 'It's been a while.'

_"Not nearly long enough," _Rukia thought.

'Urahara-San,' she said formally, working hard to keep any venom from her voice.

'So formal,' he huffed and flapped his fan a little more vigorously, 'you're the first Omega here today, we had to wait for Renji to give us his sample. I'm very excited to see the results.' There was a glint in his eye that made Rukia feel even more uncomfortable.

As if sensing this, Captain Kotetsu was by her side in seconds.

'It's okay Rukia,' she breathed into her ear and Rukia felt a large warm hand cover her own. The hand she'd used to grip Sode No Shirayuki had actually frozen over on the handle and Captain Kotetsu's icy element defrosted it with surprisingly comfortable warmth. 'I won't them near you.'

'Thank you,' Rukia felt herself relaxing, being led by the Captain and following her toward another room. When they entered, Rukia felt uneasy. The room was plain, a large metal chamber with lighting above. On a table to their right were a few various objects and in the centre of the room stood another table. Rukia recognised the items in the jars; they were pieces of clothing worn by the various Alpha suitors.

These objects were not what made Rukia feel uncomfortable. It was the sheet of mirror that took up most of the wall to her left. It was clear it was a one way mirror, the kind where people on the other side could see in but you couldn't see out. Rukia knew who were on the other side of that wall, watching her and it was this that made her feel uneasy.

'Try to pretend no one else is here but you and I, Rukia,' Captain Kotetsu said encouragingly and Rukia turned and gave the Captain her full attention. She picked something up from the table and made her way back toward Rukia.

Rukia tried to regulate her breathing and focused on what the Captain was doing. She'd strapped something to Rukia's arm and scanned it, holding a device in her other hand with a screen on it. Captain Kotetsu gazed down at whatever the screen was showing her.

'Can you try and put this patch on your neck scent gland for me?' she held out a white patch and Rukia blinked at it, taking it from her. She knew better than to try and figure out the inner workings of the Twelfth division. Doing as she was instructed, like the good soldier she was, Rukia placed it onto her scent gland and then another over her heart. Captain Kotetsu's eyes rarely moved from the screen and eventually she smiled warmly and nodded at Rukia.

'Alright, we may begin. This-' she nodded her head down to the little machine, 'will allow me to see how you react to each of the scents. The data is recorded and put toward the project. This is going to be an interesting experiment for me. You're only the third one in today.'

'Who else have you had in?' Rukia asked, making conversation to try and calm her nerves.

'Renji and Ichigo,' she smiled, 'we just got Renji's done when he came to drop off his sample. He looked…'

'Hungover?' Rukia asked with a smirk.

'Extremely,' Captain Kotetsu chuckled.

'Yeah, that's about right,' Rukia glanced around the room at the glass containers and sighed.

'Whenever you feel ready Rukia,' Captain Kotetsu said warmly. Rukia felt foolish, they were just pieces of fabric and all she had to do was sniff them. It wasn't exactly anything taxing.

But she was apprehensive. Rukia hated feeling like a science experiment. She'd spent too many awful months being one before and she'd hated every single moment of it. Still, this was an order, and she was a Lieutenant.

Rukia took a few steps toward the table and found her courage returning as she moved. Movement was familiar and helped to burn away some of the nerves. Taking a step up to the first container, she noticed that the glass was coloured and shielded the look of the fabric hidden inside. Each glass chamber was attached to a long tube which Rukia lifted, it ended with a nose and mouth piece and was clearly the part Rukia was to breathe through.

Taking a deep breath of normal air, Rukia lifted the covering and put it over her mouth and nose. She held her breath for a few seconds, steeling herself and then took a few tentative breaths of the air.

It wasn't bad.

Rukia relaxed instantly, feeling silly for how she'd tensed up and how much she'd overthought this task.

The scent reminded her of the time she'd gotten into Isshin's new car with Ichigo and his sisters. There was a new leather smell, a hardened plastic like tinge to it and something a little wood like in the background. It didn't stir any deep desire, even though she could smell that it was an Alpha scent and that of an Alpha in a rut. The air was infused with pheromones, and Rukia had to wonder if the Alpha in question was really that bothered about finding a mate.

Scents could reveal a lot about someone. They could reveal a particular mood or emotion, if someone was ill, horny, tired or close to death. This scent had an air of indifference to it, not particularly drawing her in but not completely repulsing her either. It was almost consensual, leaving the invitation hinted at, while allowing her to make the next move.

Her head tilted to the side as she analysed it and glanced up at Captain Kotetsu who was standing close, writing something on a clipboard while looking down at the machine she'd perched on the edge of the examination table.

'You can move onto the next one when you're ready, Rukia,' the other woman said glancing up and smiling. Rukia removed the mask and smiled back at her.

'Feels like that person didn't actually wear his shirt during his heat,' she chuckled and the Captain just pursed her lips.

'It is possible,' she replied with a chuckle.

'I feel stupid for feeling so scared now,' Rukia picked up the next mask and put it on. She waited until it was secured around her nose before she breathed deeply.

With a hiss, she tried to rip the damn thing from her nose.

This scent was so vile it was like someone had just shot down her throat with iron hot bullets. The metallic notes stung the back of her throat, her tongue, her nose until she was sure they were going to start bleeding. It was the same taste you had when blood gurgled in your mouth and it made Rukia's head spin. She didn't even have a chance to detect the notes of the rut and Alpha hormones before Captain Kotetsu was helping her pull the mask off.

'Are you okay?' the doctor asked sharply as Rukia gulped breaths of fresh air into her lungs. For a long time, Rukia didn't talk, just breathed the fresh air of the room like a drowning woman.

'Y-yes,' Rukia gasped and winced, her throat felt like it had been rubbed by hot coals.

'Take your time, do you need some water?' the kindly Captain asked her.

Rukia shook her head and groaned at the feeling in her throat. She closed her eyes to try and shut out the extra stimulus that sight was causing her. Then she felt something cold on the back of her neck and moaned at the feeling.

The metallic taste was lifted from the back of her throat and Rukia opened her eyes to see Captain Kotetsu close beside her. The woman had one hand on the back of Rukia's neck and was muttering words under her breath.

'Thank you,' Rukia sighed when the final traces of metal were purged from her throat.

'It's okay,' she shook her head, 'That's why I am here. You've not been the only one to have extreme reactions to the scents and you won't be the last.'

'I almost want to pick that one back up again,' Rukia pointed to the first tube and Captain Kotetsu laughed heartily.

'Let's see how you feel about the next one,' she smirked and Rukia tried her best to read the woman's expression. Captain Kotetsu looked amused and this seemed to relax Rukia, who tentatively picked up the next mask. This time she tried to take a sniff before securing it around her face, but the mask wasn't designed to let any of the scent escape until it was secured. With a grimace for the worst, Rukia pulled it over her nose and mouth and secured it at the back. She took a moment to gather her courage and took a small tentative scent of the air.

Her whole body relaxed in an instant and she grinned, huffing out a sigh of longing.

_Ichigo. _

She'd know this scent anywhere.

The sweet tang of freshly picked berries coated her tongue. It seemed to be undoing the damage left behind by the previous scent. She was much more familiar with Ichigo's scent, having lived in his bedroom cupboard and been around him enough times without his suppressants. She'd even smelled him in rut too. The notes of citrus were harsher then they usually were, the rut lingered on her tongue and made her knees feel weak. It wasn't an unpleasant weakness, and the more Rukia inhaled the more she could feel her own body respond. The comfort washed over her, the scent of the man who protected her, shielded her, helped her, the scent of her friend.

'I knew you'd like that one,' Captain Kotetsu giggled and Rukia opened her dazed eyes to beam at the Captain. Her eyes softened as Rukia pressed the mask more firmly to her face. She didn't want to let this mask go, there were a lot of loaded emotions contained in this scent and it was something she hadn't realised how much she'd missed until she was breathing it again.

Making a mental note to ask Ichigo to donate more items to her nest, Rukia, reluctantly, took the mask off.

'One last one,' Captain Kotetsu said brightly, making a final scribble on her notepad.

Just one more.

Rukia prayed that it was like the first scent. She knew that it couldn't bring her any of the joy and comfort that Ichigo's had, but she hoped it was at least as unobtrusive as the first one.

Rukia reached out and picked the final mask up and put it over her face for the final time. Securing the straps at the back of her head she took a final glance over to Captain Kotetsu who was watching her closely, and breathed.

Her vision nearly went white.

Rukia threw out a hand to grasp the table, but she'd already fallen to her knees. The shock caused her to gasp which just drew more of the delicious scent into her nose and mouth until she was drowning in it. Fresh, like the air of a salted ocean, like warm fresh sheets strung out to dry on a spring morning, pine.

The scent of a rut was thick on them, the scent so completely _Alpha _that for a second Rukia forgot who she was and where she was. Heat rolled down her back, pooled in her abdomen and made her head spin. Before she knew what was happening, her body was sucking the air in greedily, trying to draw more of the delicious taste into her lungs, wanting more than anything to drown and drown and keep drowning until there was nothing left.

She lurched, and realised she'd actually thrown her hands out as the mask was taken off her face. A voice was calling from somewhere in the distance.

_'…kia?'_

Rukia groaned and twisted, trying to find that succulent Alpha scent again. It was coated in thick pheromones, a hunter seeking a mate so pure and _oh, _how she wanted to be that mate.

'Rukia?'

With great difficulty Rukia opened her eyes, her whole body shaking and shuddering. She realised that someone had two protective arms around her, holding her close. Captain Kotetsu's scent rolled off her in waves and Rukia felt it calming her. It was a far cry from the scent she wanted, but it was exactly what she needed as she realised she wasn't in her nest. Rukia let a pathetic whine slip past her lips and prayed that no one but Captain Kotetsu heard it.

'I've got you,' the Alpha growled in her ear, 'you're safe.'

Rukia clung to her, shuddering as her body readjusted back to normality. The emotions were fogging at the back of her mind and it felt much more like her body was racing toward a heat that she wasn't ready for, and a partner that was nowhere to be seen.

'Oh,' Rukia groaned. Captain Kotetsu pulled her fingers through Rukia's hair to get it away from her clammy forehead and Rukia sighed feeling the cool hand of the doctor on her forehead. She tried to focus only on that and did her best to push the scent from her mind.

'Are you okay?' the Captain asked after a few more minutes of silence.

Rukia took several more deep breaths of the room air and the calming pheromones being released by the doctor.

'Yes,' she finally said, then added shakily, 'I've never… Smelt a scent like that before.'

'Everyone responds to scents differently, one that you find repulsive another might reacted positively too and in reverse,' the Captain explained. Rukia tried to think through the fuzz in the back of her mind. She had a hard time believing that any of the other Omegas would find the metal like scent appealing while _not _being attracted to that final scent.

Just thinking about it again caused a shiver of heat and pleasure to course down her body. Captain Kotetsu's eyes flickered back to her little machine which had ended up on the ground beside them.

'I think we should get you out of here and back home,' the doctor said.

'Why?' Rukia groaned pushing to stand shakily on her feet.

'You might go into heat,' she replied and Rukia started.

Surely not?

It had just been a scent!

'Try this,' Captain Kotetsu handed her a pill, 'I didn't think we'd need to use them but based on this morning's results I might need to go and get more of them.'

'What is it?' Rukia asked as she tentatively took the pill.

'It should stop the heat, hopefully, if we catch it in time,' the doctor pushed a bottle of water into Rukia's hands and the Lieutenant took the pill quickly without a fuss. The last thing she needed was a heat, the timing couldn't be more awful. Not in the middle of this silly project and with the new recruitment to seated officers coming up.

The effects were not immediate, but as Rukia stood up on shaky legs and stopped relying on the Captain for support she was pleased to feel the rolling heat receding from her spine.

'How are you feeling?' the Captain asked again.

'Fine,' Rukia said with a small shake of her head.

'Rangiku will be here soon,' the doctor said, 'let's get you out of here first shall we?'

Rukia agreed and they made their way toward the door. She didn't wish to be questioned by Rangiku or made to stay and watch Rangiku's sessions as a show of Omegaian Solidarity or some rubbish. Rukia wanted to disappear into her nest and take some time for herself to refocus her thoughts before she was expected to deal with another human being.

Rangiku caught them just as they left through the door.

'How did it go?' the busty Lieutenant asked orbiting over to them. Rukia did her best to appear not as dishevelled as she felt.

'Fine,' she lied.

Rangiku's eyes seemed to take in her entire appearance before narrowing.

'We're meeting at the Anzen tonight,' Rangiku said, 'at seven.'

'I'll be there,' Rukia replied. Rangiku considered her friend for a moment before grinning.

'Did you want to stay and watch me-'

'No, no,' Rukia said hastily, 'I have a- a lot of work to do.'

Rangiku looked mildly disappointed but turned to greet Captain Kotetsu and left Rukia standing out in the fresh air with a wave of her hand. Captain Kotetsu threw Rukia one last sweeping glance but Rukia just smiled and thanked her with a silent bow. She watched the two women make their way back inside the facility and the door close on them.

The scent still lingered on the back of Rukia's tongue. Despite the pill she'd taken and despite the Captain trying to help, it felt like it had been branded into the soft flesh at the back of her nose and throat.

Rukia knew, she _knew _that scent would haunt her for the rest of the day.

And the most frustrating thing about it; she wasn't even sure who the scent belonged to.

* * *

**DUN DUN DUNNNNNNNNN!**

**Okay excited to see what your thoughts on all this are, have I thrown you for a loop? Who did you think each of the scents belonged to? I encourage you to leave your thoughts and views in a review then have a look and see what others think to! **

**Expect a lot of little twists and turns going forward in this story, but rest assured to the IchiRuki lovers out there that even if this DOESN'T end in that pairing, there will be plenty of friendship moments for you to enjoy at the very least. **


	5. The Unexpected Announcement

**Massive thank you to BlindSaya, Harbinger Of Kaos, suki kuran, Ice Maiden Olivier, bookist, Guest, Mr. No Bo Dy, MikeRyder16, Dreaming Haven for your reviews! And an extra special thank you to DreamSilverWings for such a MASSIVE review! This chapter is dedicated to you all!**

**I hope this chapter answers some of the questions you all left me in your comments! **

**Did you know we started a BLEACH PODCAST? Yup... find us by searching 'The Seireitei' no joke.**

* * *

Rukia had tried her best to clear her head, but the thoughts kept circling back to that scent. It was posing an issue because she was due to meet up with the girls at the Anzen and she needed to elude a cool and calm exterior or risk being interrogated into insanity.

The soldier in her didn't like not _knowing. _Rukia felt like she was on the precipice of a battle she was woefully unprepared for. The only thing she knew for certain was that the scent did not belong to Ichigo. Rukia had spent time in Ichigo's cupboard, she'd had to make herself scarce when he'd gone into a rut, she'd smelled him and she knew one hundred percent that second to last scent was him. A huge part of her was almost disappointed, she was sure of all the scents she'd smelled that Ichigo's would have been the one to cause the most extreme reactions in her, as it stood his was merely comfortable.

Rukia still didn't know who the scent belonged to. She had a theory and it was just that; a theory. Captain Hitsugaya had responded poorly to the heat inducing medication, just as Rukia had… it is likely that may have caused the two of them to find solidarity with each other's scents. Seeking out a being of a cold spiritual pressure in a time when both were heated beyond reason.

She was almost hopeful at this point that her theory was correct, because the alternative was that the scent belonged to either Renji or Yukio.

Rukia showered, scrubbed herself several times over with scent suppressing soap and was in the process of putting on a clean uniform as she contemplated. In the world of the living, humans presented their dynamic when they reached the physical age of sexual maturity. That age could be anywhere from 12 years old to 19 or sometimes as late as 20 years old. Ichigo had already informed Rukia that he'd presented as an Alpha the year before, and it was followed by a growth spurt and everything else that came with reaching the age of physical maturity… we'll they'd not discussed _that _part. For a soul, they could live for thousands of years before perishing, especially one of high spiritual pressure.

For the balance of the world to be maintained, only souls of high spiritual pressure presented a secondary gender, meaning the majority of souls outside the Seireitei never presented. The soul must have also been at least a hundred years old, which was a soul's age of physical maturity. Rukia had presented when she was around one hundred and five and was in her first year of the academy. She'd guessed what gender Renji was going to present as because of how tall he'd been growing that year, but she wasn't around him when he'd presented. That meant that Rukia hadn't smelled her friend without his scent patches on and without having taken his suppressants.

Most people left the wrist scent glands exposed, this gave away the scent of emotions, but not the persons own physical scent components which was what presented during a heat or rut. These were the notes that could be pin pointed like cedar or strawberries.

Rukia scrubbed a hand down her face and sighed deeply, that meant she had no idea which scent had been Renji's and she had no idea about Yukio's at all either. It was beyond frustrating, to have to rely on guess work and eventually Rukia just gave up and made her way toward the Anzen.

The Omega bar was bouncing, a themed night seemed to be underway and it was with amusement that Rukia spotted the male and female Omega servers wearing grass skirts and coconuts. She was given a wreath of flowers to wear around her neck and made her way toward the table where Rangiku was waving a hand wildly in the air in her direction.

'Rukia! Rukia!' she called as if anyone could miss her.

Rangiku was wearing a wreath of pink flowers and had opted to wear a colourful jump suit to match the tropical theme of the setting. The baby pink fabric flowed and looked both loose fitting and comfortable as she leaned across the table toward her, eyes sparkling with all the unspoken gossip on her lips.

'Hello,' Rukia sighed sliding into her seat and resigning herself to her fate as Nanao and Kiyone both greeted her.

'Kiyone was just telling us what happened with her test,' Rangiku threw the young blonde girl under the hollow instantly and she choked on the coconut she'd been drinking from.

'Ah, yeah,' a flush climbed up her face and she glared at Rangiku. Kiyone made Rukia feel better by wearing her standard Shinigami uniform, which was exactly what Rukia had come in. A quick glance to Nanao told Rukia that only Rangiku had dressed for this particular adventure.

'You said that the second one and last one you really didn't like?' Rangiku quickly recapped, stirring her tropical looking drink with one hand while sliding another toward Rukia.

With a soft sigh, Rukia picked the glass up, aware she wasn't going to get out of this without a drink and took a tentative sip. Whatever it was, it was strawberry and so full of crushed ice that Rukia instantly knew it was going to become her new favourite drink.

'The leathery smell, that was the first one,' Kiyone said, frowning off into the distance trying to recall them, 'that one was pleasant.'

Rukia made a noise of agreement at the back of her throat, while she resisted the urge to moan over the drink that was sliding down her throat. The berries and ice drove away the last hints of the scents she'd been breathing and soothed in its wake.

'The second one was really,' Kiyone made a face and Rukia blinked at her in a daze. The young blonde was scowling into her drink and shook her beautiful golden hair, 'really not my thing.'

'Yeah I wasn't partial to that one either,' Rangiku scowled and Rukia tried to make a noise of agreement but it came out as a huff when she realised she'd gotten to the end of the drink already.

Rangiku looked mildly amused at her.

'Want another?' she asked.

'Yes,' Rukia moaned and glanced around as Rangiku summoned a server out of thin air.

'Another two strawberry daiquiri please,' she asked and the man ducked away with a nod.

Rukia sat impatiently waiting while the talk continued. She only barely resisted looking around for the male Omega who had taken the drink order to see what was taking him so long and knew that if she went and offered to make the crushed ice for him she could probably save him half the time.

'So none of us liked the second scent?' Rangiku clarified and all of them except Nanao nodded. 'How interesting,' Rangiku stirred her drink.

'Perhaps that person isn't wishing to attract a mate?' Nanao asked, pushing her glasses up her nose with a finger.

'That's what made me think it was maybe Yukio,' Kiyone supplied and Rukia thought it wasn't that bad of a guess.

'Rukia what does Ichigo and Renji smell like?' Rangiku asked and Rukia choked on air. That was an incredibly personal question to ask someone and Nanao tossed Rangiku a look.

It's like she'd just asked to see pictures of Renji and Ichigo naked from her phone.

'Th-I'm not answering that,' Rukia scowled at her and Rangiku rolled her eyes.

'Please, we've technically already smelt them both and we're not going to discuss this with anyone outside of our Omega circle.'

Rukia was thoughtful for a very long time, eyeing Rangiku up from across the table while the busty Lieutenant stared back at her innocently. Knowing Ichigo he probably wouldn't have cared, he often forgot to take his scent patches to school with him and it was always Rukia, Yuzu or Karin who reminded him before he went out the door.

Rukia sighed and frowned at the table, 'assuming they didn't change the order, then Ichigo's was the second to last one.'

'Really?' Rangiku asked looking quite surprised as she sat back in her chair, 'I thought that had been my Captains.'

'You did?' Rukia asked with a frown, doubting for a moment if she'd gotten it right. Rukia shook her head, no she was adamant that had been Ichigo's, 'no that was definitely Ichigo's.'

'You're sure?' Rangiku asked.

'One hundred percent,' Rukia said firmly.

'Unless they changed the order of the scents, to throw you all off?' Nanao asked.

'I don't think they did,' Rangiku said, 'I arrived pretty soon after Rukia left they wouldn't have had time.

'What does your Captain smell like?' Rukia asked Rangiku, now curious and ignoring the pointedly indignant look that Nanao had thrown her. Rangiku's devilish smirk spread across her face and she raised a brow.

'Why do you want to know so badly?' she asked.

Rukia scowled and felt an embarrassed flush climb her neck, 'I just know what Ichigo smells like so I'll know better the order of the tubes if I know what Captain Hitsugaya's scent is like.'

'I'm not sure,' Rangiku shrugged, 'never smelt him.'

'But you two have worked together for years?' Kiyone asked a little shocked.

'Captain is very conservative,' Rangiku sighed, 'he has always been careful and he presented when he was alone with Captain Shiba so the only one who could tell you is him.'

Rukia thought on that for a moment, there was no way she was going to ask Ichigo's father such a question about the boy who had been in his charge.

'What about Renji?' Rangiku asked again and Rukia shrugged.

'Renji didn't present until the Academy and I was being adopted by the Kuchiki clan at that point,' she said, 'I've never smelt him either.'

'Well if you're saying Ichigo's was the second to last then that meant his was the berry scented one right? The sweet one?' Rangiku asked with a finger to her lips.

'Yeah, that's it,' Rukia nodded.

'Seems fitting,' Nanao chuckled into her glass of water.

'That scent was second to last for me too,' Kiyone confirmed, 'which means they didn't change the order at all.'

'I had been so sure,' Rangiku frowned off into the distance.

'What's on your mind Ran?' Nanao asked her friend leaning forward and placing a hand delicately over Rangiku's on the table.

'I just,' Rangiku shrugged, 'that was the scent I reacted to the most.'

Rukia, who had been greedily drinking her third strawberry daiquiri, was brought back with a snap.

'Oh really?' Kiyone asked with a smirk leaning forward on her chair too, 'little strawberry babies on the way then?' she teased.

Rangiku rolled her eyes but the heat was climbing up her neck and along her cheekbones, 'if we did they'd be the cutest babies around.'

'You're having more than one now?' Nanao asked with a soft chuckle.

'I want at least five,' Rangiku said with a longing sigh and Rukia felt like every single word she spoke was a blow against her chest. The other Omega's clearly noticed their friends silence and shared glances with each other.

'Rukia are you okay?' Nanao asked, the attention shifting at the table toward Rukia. Kiyone had slid a little closer toward her in the booth in a bid to try and make her feel better.

'Rukia, do you have feelings for Ichigo?' Rangiku asked. Rukia looked up into the taller woman's eyes. There was deep understanding etched into the baby blue irises and Rukia swallowed.

'I don't,' Rukia started feeling the thundering of her heart in her chest, 'I don't know.'

'Does he make you feel happy? Safe?' Nanao pressed and Rukia nodded.

'Ichigo and I have always had a bond,' she tried to articulate the emotions she was feeling even if she did find it challenging, 'I can't say for sure that they're feelings but there's something there. Protectiveness maybe?'

'Does thinking about me with him make you feel jealous?' Rangiku asked, 'because I don't want to make anyone feel like that.'

'No, I-I don't know,' Rukia sighed and shook her head, 'you're all better at this than I. I've spent so much of my time trying to lock emotions away because it interferes with work. Emotions feel like weakness and even with my brother, he'd never speak at me or look at me before Ichigo stepped into my life. Ichigo was pure radiant joy in a time when I had so little to be happy about.'

The other Omega's stayed silent, listening to her speak and she could feel the understanding and empathy flowing off them in waves, in a way it only ever could with Omegas. 'I always thought I'd be happier if I just locked my emotions away and didn't tamper with them but this… this project.' Rukia sighed, 'it's changing everything.'

'Thank you for being honest with me, Rukia,' Rangiku said reaching across the table and taking Rukia's hand in hers. Rukia relished in the physical contact from the other Omega, Rangiku's skin was unnaturally warm in comparison to Rukia's own but the contrast helped shock some of the emotions from Rukia's system.

'It's unusual for souls like us to accept that we are allowed feelings, because soldiers are raised not to have any,' Nanao said wisely, echoing Rukia's thoughts, 'But we also need to accept that we are Omega's too and the biological part of us during times of peace will always try to seek out comfort and a family.'

They were all silent after that, it was true that during periods of war an Omega's cycle would go into a state of hibernation. Sensing that the Omega was not somewhere safe an Omega could go for years without a heat or mating cycle. This never happened to an Alpha the same way for during a rut an Alpha would be filled with testosterone and that usually helped them fight. With an Alpha their rut hormones would just be misdirected, instead of wanting to mate with someone, they'd fight for territory or a "safe space" so that Omega's could feel protected enough to go into heat.

Rukia was glad she'd partially paid attention during those lessons at the academy. They'd been taught by members of squad four who would come to visit and teach about each of the dynamics and how they responded to stressful situations.

'Would it bother you if Rangiku was paired with Ichigo?' Kiyone asked and Rukia bit her lip thoughtfully. There was a tiny part of her that wanted to coil around Ichigo and protect him, which was totally the opposite to how an Omega should feel about an Alpha, but Rukia couldn't deny that part of her wouldn't be bothered.

'Probably,' Rukia sighed, her shoulders slumping, 'but I think I need to be prepared for that outcome anyway.'

'What do you mean?' Kiyone asked, her astute eyes narrowing, 'didn't you have the same reaction as Rangiku to his scent?'

'Ah,' Rukia nervously scratched her cheek and could now feel a shameful heat climbing her neck. The look caught the other Omega's off-guard and they stared at Rukia open mouthed.

'There was another scent you reacted to?' Nanao asked and Rangiku squealed.

'Who!?' she asked leaning dangerously across the table and nearly spilling her breasts out over the wood until Nanao yanked her back.

'I-I don't know,' Rukia shrugged, wishing the heat would dissipate from her cheeks, 'since we don't know who any of the other scents belong to.'

'Renji?' Nanao guessed and Rukia groaned.

'God I hope not,' she replied, her shoulders slumping in her seat.

'Why?' Kiyone pressed.

Rukia quickly filled them in on her disastrous date. In return she received the latest gossip, Rangiku's date with Ichigo went incredibly well, though Rukia figured that Rangiku was sparing her some of the details now to save her feelings and for that, Rukia was grateful. She needed time to come to terms with the fact that this project might not end with her and Ichigo as a pairing as a small part of her wished. Kiyone surprised them all by informing them of Toshiro's date. Apparently Toshiro had taken Kiyone to the world of the living and they'd had a full beach date which even included a surfing lesson.

'But my Captain hates the beach,' Rangiku frowned, 'and all I got was dinner?'

'Captain Hitsugaya has known for a while it's been a dream of mine to learn how to surf,' Kiyone said excitedly, 'he took you on a fine dining experience because he knows how much that means to you.'

'Oh,' Rangiku replied, staying silent for a moment to contemplate those words.

'Did you want to go surfing?' Nanao asked and Rangiku snorted.

'And ruin my nails? No thank you, but I love the beach too… how did he cope with the sun?' Rangiku asked and Kiyone smiled.

'Well he mostly stayed in the water, I think he can use the liquid to keep himself cool, but he was surprisingly good at surfing,' she frowned, 'I think he went behind my back to try and show off.'

'He's never spoken about surfing,' Rangiku snorted, 'and I don't see him spending a whole lot of time at the beach.'

Kiyone shrugged, 'he looks good in swimming shorts, so that's a pity.'

'I wonder what he's going to do with his date with Momo,' Nanao asked and her eyes flickered over to Rangiku. The busty Lieutenants murderous face appeared only for a split second.

'Hopefully tie her up in a bag and toss her in a river,' Rangiku said icily.

'You know that's not in his nature,' Nanao chuckled into her drink.

'A woman can hope,' Rangiku shrugged and Rukia smiled.

She was almost curious now to see what Captain Hitsugaya would be planning for their date. Would she get a fine dining experience too or would she be getting something fun like Kiyone?

'There hasn't been something you've always wanted to do, Rukia, that my Captain might take you to try too?' Rangiku asked.

'Not… to my knowledge,' Rukia frowned at the table.

'Bet he'll take you ice skating,' Nanao said with a chuckle.

'That would be fun,' Rukia laughed wondering who, out of the both of them, would be the better ice skater.

'Well next to Rangiku's five children none of the rest of us will be forced to take part in this project anyway,' Kiyone giggled as she pushed her empty cocktail glass away from her.

'Ah, well, about that,' Nanao said and she shifted in her seat, 'we're now only looking for one Omega to get pregnant.'

'Wait? Why? What changed?' Rangiku asked suddenly turning to look at Nanao who was looking incredibly proud of herself. Rukia knew the answer a second before she said it, as she watched the first division Lieutenant raise her _non-alcoholic _drink to her lips.

'I'm pregnant.'

••✼••

Byakuya was beyond pleased, when they met for tea at his manor early the next morning. When Rukia told him of the shocking news that had dropped, she visibly saw the tension drain from his shoulders and a hint of a smile appearing on his stoic features.

'You're really happy about this,' Rukia said, to be honest, Rukia was still in shock.

'I am, this is less pressure on you and- and the other Omega's,' he replied. Rukia studied her brother for a while, she was sure he'd been about to say something else but changed it at the last moment. She hated that she couldn't just question him.

'And will Captain Kyoraku be helping her raise the child?' Byakuya asked, lowering his teacup and gesturing at Rukia to join him for a stroll. He stood gracefully and moved toward the open shoji doors and Rukia hastened to follow.

'I didn't say who the father was,' Rukia said.

'It is obvious, you didn't have to,' Byakuya replied and Rukia was impressed by her brother's ability to pick up on subtle hints of feelings and affection. She'd never seen him in his relationship with Hisana but she had to wonder if her sister had truly impacted him so profoundly and that there were parts to his soul he'd buried deep and Rukia would only ever catch glimpses of them.

'Nanao said that she wouldn't trust Captain Kyoraku with the child,' Rukia smiled as she said it, remembering the absolute affection in the way that Nanao teasingly referred to her Captain and _mate. _

'That is wise,' Byakuya said and he stopped beside one of the servants who was guarding the gate.

'Arrange for a baby gift basket from the world of the living to be delivered directly to Lieutenant Ise of the first division,' he said, 'ensure it's of natural colour and do not worry of the cost.'

The servant gave a low bow and was off in a second. Rukia smiled at her brother's back, seeing a new, more affectionate side to the stoic man. Rukia was sure if she were to fall pregnant, she would see a shift in her brothers entire demeanour, she could see Byakuya being an overbearing and protective Uncle who would dote on the new Kuchiki heir like it was the only thing in the world that mattered.

'Tell me what else you found out,' Byakuya asked and Rukia felt a soft tug at her lips. This was her brother's way of asking for gossip. Rukia told him that it looked like Rangiku and Ichigo would be paired and his eyes quickly locked onto Rukia's face, catching the emotion she tried so desperately to lock away.

'I don't know whether I should be thankful or disappointed,' Byakuya said with a sigh.

'What do you mean?' Rukia asked.

'I know how comfortable you are around young Kurosaki, but I can't deny that his very existence grates on my soul…' as he spoke, she saw the tick on her brother's face, 'But alas, he is of noble blood and would have produced a very powerful heir. I also believe he'd have made you happy.'

'What about Renji?' Rukia asked, forgetting her place for a moment until it was too late. She watched her brother's expression smooth into an impassive one. He seemed willing to forgive her questioning this time.

'Would you wish to be paired with Lieutenant Abari?' he asked calmly.

'Not… particularly,' Rukia sighed. She'd maybe have said yes before the disastrous date. After all she and Renji had been incredibly close.

'Then that leaves Captain Hitsugaya,' Byakuya said with a nod.

'What about Yukio?' Rukia asked.

'Do we know the child's last name?' Byakuya asked with a huff, refusing to refer to him by his first name.

'I didn't catch it, it wasn't Japanese,' Rukia said with a frown.

Byakuya made a noise of discontent at the back of his throat, 'well regardless he holds no titles here, I do not think the Kuchiki clan would approve of an heir.'

'So you're saying it has to be either Renji or Captain Hitsugaya?' Rukia asked.

'Or Kurosaki, yes,' Byakuya replied.

'It won't be Ichigo,' Rukia replied.

Byakuya considered her, and Rukia could feel his gaze as she looked out across the beautifully kept grounds. The bubbling of the stream was the only sound she could hear. The edges of the bank had dried due to lack of rain, the water only lapping back up the side with the slap of a koi tail. Rukia let her eyes follow the large gold and white fish as it swam back into deeper water.

'Sit with me,' Byakuya instructed and Rukia turned and followed behind him. He walked slowly across a small red zen bridge to a tiny island where a white marble bench sat under the branches of a blossom tree. Rukia was unsure if it were due to her brother's spiritual pressure or some other mysterious factor, but she had yet to see the tree without its cherry blossom petals.

Byakuya sat gracefully onto the marble and Rukia joined him. He locked his cool steel eyes onto hers and Rukia felt a little like he was assessing her.

'The results of this project are irrelevant,' he said simply. 'It is only to determine who will produce the best offspring. It is merely an _experiment_,' he spoke the word in such a way that Rukia could tell he still wasn't happy. 'Should you and Kurosaki wish to pursue each other at the end of this, then that is all that matters. Captain Kyoraku has ensured that this will be about consent.'

'So the project is irrelevant?' Rukia frowned.

'Not entirely,' Byakuya said with a frown, 'it's a chance for Alpha's and Omega's who would otherwise not have spent romantic time together, to see if their pieces fit.'

'By pieces you mean…?' Rukia was enjoying this exchange, she had been invited into a discussion with him, one to learn, which meant she was allowed to ask questions. She wasn't questioning _him_ she was asking for his knowledge and that was perfectly acceptable.

'Reiatsu, reiryoku, scent, compatibility, everything that will be important should you wish to produce a healthy heir,' Byakuya said with a nod, 'what I am explaining to you Rukia is to relax. Do not see this puerile project as a rapidly moving force heading into the distant darkness, but rather an opportunity to explore something you may otherwise not have been open to. Should it not end how you wish, then there is still consent to be considered.'

'I can still pick Ichigo?' she asked.

'You may still select Kurosaki,' Byakuya nodded.

Rukia felt like her brother had just lifted a giant weight from her shoulders and she visibly relaxed under his gaze. A hint of a smile toyed with the edges of his lips again. Byakuya reached out and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, recognising when the Omega part of her needed the physical reassurance and she leaned into his touch.

'Either way, you will always have my blessing, Rukia,' his voice was soft and Rukia smiled up at him, trying to thank him with all the unspoken words of gratitude. Byakuya smiled back and stood. Rukia recognised the dismissal once again and rose too.

'Though if the child is born with ginger hair, I may have to disown it.'

Rukia blinked at her brothers back as he walked away and she laughed. She laughed like she had never laughed before in his presence and she watched as her brother turned to her, a genuine smile on his face now and Rukia prayed to God that he had actually been joking.

••✼••

Rukia had been pleased for her brother's words, it ignited a little flicker of relief in her chest that would carry her through her duties that day.

Ukitake and Kiyone had already left the office when Rukia arrived and the Lieutenant quickly picked up some of the paperwork before making her way to the training grounds. The grounds which were normally trampled down to dirt by the various training squad members looked surprisingly fresh and green. The dewy buds of new grass and a verity of Talus flowers springing up into bloom. Rukia frowned and realised that this meant the soldiers weren't training as often as they should be.

'Let them rest,' Ukitake said spotting the look on Rukia's face and knowing instantly where the thought was going.

'Sorry, Sir,' she said quickly and he shook his head with a chuckle.

'I think we have all earned a rest,' Captain Ukitake said and stretched out as if to prove his point.

'Not for us, Sir,' Rukia said with a chuckle, 'here they come.'

A band of nervous and excited looking souls had just walked into the field, the soul leading them familiar at once. Rukia waved to their fourth seat Kotsubaki. He'd collected the fresh new Academy recruits that Rukia had signed off on the other day. There were around thirty new faces, most of them timidly looking around at the trees and the buildings and the others strutting confidently across the field. Rukia could practically pinpoint the Omega's and the Alpha's just from the way they held and carried themselves.

'Did you wish for me to lead today, Sir?' Rukia asked. She'd done the last couple of inductions but as it was meant to be the Captain's job, Rukia always liked to ask.

'I thought both you and Kiyone could lead for me today,' he said smiling fondly at Kiyone. Rukia was caught by the request but beamed at her friend and nodded.

'Of course,' she said and Kiyone smiled nervously up at Rukia.

'I've been asked to become a Lieutenant of squad four,' she said and Rukia just stared down at her for a moment.

'W-really?' she asked, barely resisting the urge to squeal in excitement. Rukia watched as Kiyone's hands twitched, clearly wanting to reach out and grasp Rukia in a hug, or some other show of physical affection.

'Yes,' Kiyone grinned back.

'That's amazing news, Kiyone, congratulations I'm really happy for you,' Rukia put one hand on the girls shoulder to help ground her and watched the Omega melt into the comfort, her own hand wrapping around Rukia's for a moment.

'Thank you, Rukia, that means a lot to me,' Kiyone said.

'I figured that Kiyone could join you in the recruitment and the seated officer promotion processes?' Ukitake said and Rukia beamed and nodded.

'Of course,' she replied.

'I'll do my best,' Kiyone said as she stood, they both bowed to Captain Ukitake before making their way toward the new recruits. Kotsubaki had them all standing in a line, their bokken having replaced their nameless zanpakuto.

Rukia briefly explained what was about to happen to Kiyone as they walked over to the recruits, the Omega nodding dutifully at her side, drinking in every word. The Omega's took their stance before the long line and Kotsubaki took a step back behind them. Rukia nodded to the Beta as he passed and he gave her a nod of his head in return.

'Welcome,' Rukia started, raising her voice to ensure those positioned on the furthest edges of the line-up could hear her, 'to squad thirteen.'

There was an excited murmuring up and down the line. Rukia knew that Kiyone and Kotsubaki's eyes would be on every single member of the recruits, as they gauged their ability to listen and focus to what Rukia was saying.

'This is the start of your induction, we've assessed your application but now it's time for us to physically assess each of you to see if you have what it takes to be part of this family.' Rukia had used the word that Ukitake always used for their division.

Rukia proceeded through the formality of the induction, then split them off into teams of three. Two people were to spar while the third watched and offered feedback. Rukia, Kiyone and Kotsubaki moved amongst the teams, assessing their abilities and also how seriously each trio was taking the exercise. After only one hour, Rukia already had her favourites. Team two consisted of an Alpha, Beta and an Omega all of whom were skilled for their levels and took the entire process seriously, offering each other constructive feedback and helping each other where they could. Team eight also showed promise and consisted of two Alpha's and an Omega.

'Very good,' Rukia called as she had them back in line. Kiyone had a chart in her hands now and was scribbling some last notes onto the pages while still closely observing Rukia. They made the entire unit run a small relay race, and Rukia spotted someone she was pretty sure was going to give them issues. A taller man by the name of Kaito Kobayashi seemed to be only recruiting Alpha's onto his relay team and Rukia was a little disappointed that this seemed to be working in his favour.

Then his relay team went up against a mixed team. Rukia recognised them as the three members of the second team during their first exercise, the Alpha, Omega and Beta and they'd been joined by another Beta and Omega since. Rukia watched with delight as one of the Omega's, who appeared to have been working on some pre-flash step skills, shot ahead of Kobayashi, but the Alpha wasn't having any of it. He shot a Kido toward the Omega, knocking her over and ensuring victory that had his team cheering and Rukia and Kiyone reeling.

'Kobayashi,' Rukia called. The smug Alpha stepped forward, holding his chin high.

'Do I win a kiss as an award?' he asked and Rukia started. She'd never ever been spoken to with such disrespect before.

'Excuse me?' she asked, feeling Kiyone physically shaking beside her and Sode no Shirayuki bristling at the back of her mind.

'Not from you, from her,' he jerked his head at the Omega he'd hit with his kido and who glared up at him. The girl looked young, but she had a lot of promise and Rukia took a deep breath to try and ground herself.

'No, not if it isn't consensual,' Rukia tried to keep the obvious anger from her voice and knew she was doing a very poor job at it, 'do you want to kiss him? Rukia asked turning to the Omega who he had just publically embarrassed.

'Only when hell freezes over,' the Omega glared at him and Rukia tried to hide her smile. Rejected in front of his squad, yet the Alpha looked entirely un-phased.

'Never you mind sweetie, I'll get it from you later,' he threatened and some of the Alpha's beside him now took tentative steps away from him. Perhaps it was because they didn't want to be associated with such an Alpha or perhaps because the blades of grass at Rukia's feet had frozen over.

Rukia remembered, she saw the face so vividly now, of the man who had tried to gain access to their squad after his attempted break into the Omega barracks. She recalled how he had an accomplice that had not been caught and she stepped forward.

'How dare you,' Rukia nearly snarled up at him. He blinked his eyes in shock and glanced down at Rukia, he looked coldly amused rather than fearful.

'What? I didn't do anything wrong.'

'Threatening anyone, be them Omega, Alpha or Beta in this division will never be tolerated,' Rukia glared at him and he rolled his eyes. He rolled his eyes at her.

He rolled his eyes.

Rukia saw red, and Sode no Shirayuki only managed to drag Rukia back in time before she reached for the blade of her zanpaukto. It wouldn't do her well to attack an unarmed squad recruit, but she needed to put this Alpha in his place. Rukia glanced back at Captain Ukitake who was watching with the same look of dislike. He met Rukia's eyes and nodded, clearly giving permission for any crazy idea's that might have been bubbling in her head.

Rukia's eyes found the Omega he'd threatened and she raised a brow in her direction. The Omega understood and a smile split across her face, she nodded.

'What's your name?' Rukia asked the Omega.

'Susuki,' she replied.

'Susuki, please step forward,' Rukia stepped back and Kiyone followed. The Alpha looked merely bemused.

'We are going to start our power ranking now, the order will be determined by knockout. Those who win will advance. This will allow us to determine the strongest from the weakest. Thank you both for volunteering.'

Kobayashi started, 'against her? But… she's one of the best at the Academy,' he now eyed the woman a little unsure of himself. The Omega had long brown hair and she reached into her robes to pull a tie out. The Alpha watched the Omega pull her hair up away from her face and Rukia recognised the look of an Omega who was out for blood.

'You may use your zanpakuto,' Rukia said, 'but nothing more than a scratch on your opponent or I shall have to deduct points,' she instructed.

'Bu-but wait! Shouldn't she be paired up with another Omega?' Kobayashi's eyes looked almost desperate now.

'If you think you can take a kiss from her by force later, I am sure you can prove to us all just now that you have the strength to make threats like that,' Rukia said calmly. 'Unless you planned to attack her while she slept?' she asked.

The other Alpha's around him were murmuring their disapproval under their breaths and Rukia was pleased to see them firing him looks of deep dislike.

'Well-n-no it was just a joke,' he rolled his eyes _again_ and Rukia tilted her head.

'Really? You've never tried to do anything like that before?' Rukia asked and he blinked and glanced at her. He genuinely seemed to be sweating now and Rukia could feel the smugness radiating from her third seat beside her.

'I've no idea what you're talking about,' he said lifting his chin.

_Sure you do you great big ugly prick._

Sode no Shirayuki was done with this guy's shit just as much as Rukia and she nodded toward Susuki who looked like she'd been dreaming of this moment her whole life. The girl swung her zanpakuto around in a graceful arc, planting her feet in a solid starting pose and Rukia heard Kiyone suck in a breath beside her.

It was over in a flash. It happened so quickly that some of the other recruits were left wondering what had just happened. Rukia was sure that only her, Captain Ukitake and their seated officers Kiyone and Kotsubaki would have seen the girl's movements. They were not quite as fast as flash step but they were certainly quicker than any recruit Rukia had seen before.

The blood dripped from his cheek and he clutched a hand up to his newly acquired scar.

'That will be last place finish for you then,' Rukia said with a nod, 'unfortunately that means you've not made the cut to join the squad, report to squad four to see about your face.'

Kobayashi glared at Rukia with a look of deep loathing but turned and trudged away, forgetting to bow. The class parted like the red sea, some of them scrambling to get out of his way as if he were contaminated.

'Did you cut a letter on his face?' Kiyone asked Susuki who was sheathing her blade.

'Yes,' she shuffled her feet and her eyes glanced to Rukia and back again, 'the letter "D" and I can't… can't say that what it stands for is appropriate.'

There was a beat silence and then Kiyone snorted with laughter. Rukia bit the inside of her lip to keep her own amusement from her face and dismissed Susuki back into line with the other recruits.

'Before we continue, I want to make it clear that discriminatory behaviour to another based on their primary _or _secondary gender will not be tolerated. At best you'll be dismissed, at worst you'll be reprimanded by myself and believe me when I say,' Rukia flashed them all a serious look, 'you don't wish to cross blades with me.'

There was a small murmur of agreement and Rukia spotted a few of the Omega's looking at her with deep respect.

'Let us continue.'

True to her word on the next activity the group was split into pairs and told to spar each other until well into the evening. It came as no surprise to anyone that Susuki turned out on top, though her battle with one of the higher Beta's of the group gave Rukia deep respect for both. At the end of the day they had established who their new recruits were and who hadn't quite managed to hit the mark. Rukia was thankful to see the back of a couple of the Alpha's who had aided Kobayashi during the relay race, she was pretty sure that they carried the same discrimination toward the Omega's regardless of having their backsides handed to them by the female Omega's in the group.

Kiyone and Ukitake seemed pleased with the choices, they fully inducted nine Omega's, five Beta's and six Alpha's. Rukia was glad that the group of three friends; the Omega, Beta and Alpha had all made the cut too. She gave them a final debrief then dismissed them for the evening. The next day their training would be led by the fourth seat instead and Kiyone turned to Rukia beaming.

'Well that was insightful,' she laughed and Rukia sighed.

'I've not had trouble like that in a while, but we can all rest assured that Susuki will keep the Omega's of that barracks safe.'

'She might be worth inducting right into a seated position,' Kiyone stated and Rukia hummed in agreement, they watched the group walking away and it was clear that the other Omega's respected her from the way they flocked around her.

'Well done you two,' Ukitake said, standing on shaky legs and coughing a little as he rose to greet them. Kiyone fussed over him as only an Omega could and Rukia took a brief look down at her third seats notes. They were clear and concise, she'd make a fine Lieutenant for squad four.

'I am going to miss you,' Rukia said with a sigh.

'We can still swap scent gifts and see each other though right?' Kiyone asked and Rukia laughed.

'Of course.'

Captain Ukitake had retired to his quarters for the evening and the two Omega's walked back toward the office together. The light from the setting sun casting deep shadows through the streets of the Seireitei. The bright vivid orange coruscated from the window surfaces and beamed down onto the paved and dirtied roads.

'I will miss it here,' Kiyone said with a sigh.

'But you'll be close to your sister, which might good if…' Rukia trailed off and glanced at the other girl.

'I did think of that too,' she said with a nod, 'It would be good to be close to Isane so she can help me raise the baby.'

'You're adamant then?' Rukia asked, as they walked into the office. Rukia walked toward the table and put Kiyone's notes down on the desk to deal with the next day while Kiyone considered her question.

'I believe so, yes,' she said and Rukia turned to see the Omega shrug. 'It would be nice to have a family and I'd be lying if I didn't say the thought of curling up with a tiny baby in pajamas in my nest doesn't bring me joy.'

Rukia smiled and she hated that Kiyone had put that image in _her _head because now Rukia was picturing the exact same thing. A tiny baby with chubby little legs and tiny hands trying to roll over and snuggling down into the safety that the nest provided.

'Sorry,' Kiyone said with a smirk, like she knew fine well where Rukia's thoughts had gone, 'Didn't mean to make you broody.'

'I already was,' Rukia heaved a sigh and followed the third seat out as they locked the door behind them.

'So you're going to have a child too?' she asked.

'Right now, I'm just taking every day as it comes,' there was finality in her tone that the lower ranked officer noted immediately.

'Then have a pleasant evening, Rukia and I shall see you tomorrow,' Kiyone gave her a quick bow and turned to walk off in the direction of her living quarters. Rukia watched her go, and stayed still for a while longer even after the sound of her retreating footsteps had faded.

The last thing Rukia needed right now was to overthink, what she needed was a distraction. That's when a familiar ping sounded and she groaned.

'What now?' Rukia pulled the little soul phone from her pocket and glanced at the message on her screen.

_Hey. _

_I hacked your phone. Can we do a date tomorrow or the day after? Whenever you have time really, I'm not fussed. _

_Yukio. _

Distraction initiated.

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	6. Date Three: Dance

**Massive thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: **

**idiosyncrasies; I am glad you've been enjoying the friendship between Rukia and Rangiku, I honestly love exploring that!**

**suki kuran; Awww thank you! I am glad I have you so invested in this fic! Don't worry about spoilers in the reviews :D You can say what you want :)**

**Dreaming Haven; thank you once again for your big long review Dreaming! Yeah I think we're a bit nervous for Rukia, because she obvs wants a baby the more and more this story goes on... who knows maybe this date will be better? Also uchihaNaruto247 commented on chapter 4 asking what Rangiku/Ichigo fics you've read because they haven't read many and would like the recommendations haha! The final pairings for me were set in stone from chapter 1 :D and if you read this chapter closely ;) one of them is revealed! Thanks for your comment!**

**Ice Maiden Olivier; You find out this chapter :D**

**Erdrick the great; Who are you? :P I joke, glad you've read this far my friend and glad you even took the time to comment I know it's not your usual style haha but it means so much to me!**

**Xiyou-Chan; thanks for your comment and joining the discord family :D we're excited to have you! I am glad you like the story, maybe this chapter will hold some answers for you? **

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**This chapter actually has one of the confirmed pairings revealed :D If you read it all the way through ;) I also had so much fun writing this one so hope you all have a lot of fun reading it! **

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Rukia made a point of clearing her schedule early the next day. She went into the office to file Kiyone's paperwork away for the new squad recruits then confirmed her schedule with Captain Ukitake. Her Captain seemed amused at how seriously Rukia was now taking this whole 'dating' ordeal because she'd approached him with such a business like plan of her afternoon.

'Rukia,' he said fondly, after listening to her list explaining exactly how she was going to re-approach her workload when she got back, 'go and have fun!'

Rukia had decided to undertake this "project" in a new format. Her brother's words grounded her and made her feel safer about the whole ordeal and listening to Kiyone explain her date with Captain Hitsugaya, Rukia decided it was time to relax and try and enjoy the experience.

It came as no surprise to her that Yukio's date was to be in the world of the living, and instead of floating through walls like she could with Ichigo she'd be required to wear a gigai for this particular adventure. Rukia decided to take her old model gigai, rather than the new ones they were producing. She felt comfortable in it owing to the fact she'd spent so much time using it, in the world of the living already.

Rukia had opted for simple attire, since she wasn't sure what they'd be doing. A light purple dress to match her eyes, a pair of black fingerless gloves to match her black baby heeled boots and a pair of shorts on under the dress just in case.

She was sure Yukio wouldn't be up for doing anything too taxing but she didn't wish to be caught out with her dress riding up and nothing to protect her modesty. Always best to play it safe. Besides, shorts under her dresses had just become a staple of Rukia's wardrobe especially since the dresses usually stopped mid-thigh.

Yukio had dropped an address in her inbox and Rukia wondered if she were maybe going to be meeting him at his own mansion, but the directions landed her on a busy and bustling street in the very heart of Tokyo's own Akihabara. Rukia quickly wove in and out the crowds of people, business men wearing masks and hurrying to their next destination, school children who were out on lunch jumping into various shops and tourists scanning along piles of merchandise perched outside the shop fronts.

Rukia could hear other languages ghosting by her ears as the hot sun beat down against the exposed skin of her arms. Around her the noise of cars, restaurant doors opening and closing and arcades sounded, making her feel more alive than she had the right to feel.

Rukia glanced down at her soul phone which was leading her, not in the direction of a hollow, but toward where Yukio had set the destination. Glancing up and cupping a hand up over her eyes, Rukia saw a street off to the side with various restaurants, vending machines and a throng of people coming up from one of the subways.

There, dressed in a white shirt and looking a little uncomfortable surrounded by so many people, was Yukio. Rukia studied him for a moment, the boy looked apprehensive, glancing down at his own black device in his hands before glancing back around. His white shirt had been buttoned down to allow a bit of air in, he'd foregone the black newsboy cap on his head and the black slacks he wore looked smart but mildly uncomfortable in the heat. Rukia made her way over to him, pocketing her own device when it received a funny look from a passer-by and smiled as Yukio finally made eye contact with her.

His whole body looked stiff and tense, like he was worried she was going to attack him. Rukia realised that might not be far from the truth, since almost every encounter he'd had with a Shinigami had not ended pleasantly in his favour. Rukia tried her best to look as non-threatening as she could. She hadn't brought her zanpakuto because she trusted her skills enough without them. Yukio's power didn't lie in attack anyway, not against a Lieutenant or Captain level soul, so she'd been told by Ichigo. His power lay in his ability to aid, if paired with powerful allies, he'd provide useful assets to help make their power stronger, sneakier and downright dangerous. If she could use this time to try and set a better impression for the soul society she hoped that Yukio would never feel the desire to go against them.

'Hey,' she beamed up at him happy to notice that he was a couple of inches taller than she was. The one green eye she could see visible from beneath the freshly washed blond spikes seemed to soften as he took in her appearance.

'You came,' he pointed out simply and Rukia noticed that he did indeed speak with an accent.

'Yeah I did,' she smiled reassuringly, 'where are you from?' she asked.

'Oh well, my father was Russian,' he said, 'but I was born and raised in California.'

'That explains the accent,' Rukia grinned and he seemed to relax further, 'so what's on the agenda for us?' she asked.

'Are you hungry?' he asked, 'we could start with food if you are?'

'Always,' Rukia sighed and it wasn't far from the truth, he seemed to find this amusing and nodded his head toward a building to their left. Rukia followed him and he led her up a few flights of escalators and out onto a busy open plan flooring. The food court was small, but surrounded by various shops relating to manga, games and anime. It was the epitome of pop culture and Rukia could already tell that Yukio felt very at home surrounded by these stores.

'I can maybe use the time here to do some research,' Rukia said glancing around and making small talk. It seemed her date was a little shy and not very good at starting conversations, 'I need to keep up with what's popular in modern Japan so I can go undercover if I ever need to.'

Yukio chuckled as an older woman eyed Rukia for her comment and quickly walked away. Rukia bit back a smile and Yukio paid for their meal which consisted of two steaming bowels of fresh ramen.

They found seats together and were mostly silent while they ate. She was content with just looking around at the other shoppers who wove in and out various isles examining the merchandise. Rukia had decided not to push too much with him while on this date, she was desperate to know how he had gotten on with his other dates and what he thought of the whole science experiment but she didn't want to scare him off by tossing a million questions at him.

Her eyes wandered from a young couple sitting on their phones and not talking to each other to an older pair, the husband of which, had pulled a seat out to help his wife sit down. Rukia was intrigued by this modern era and how social bonds could be formed when people didn't actually speak to each other. Her eyes slid back to her date, who was sitting on his phone too.

'What age are you?' Rukia asked and watched as Yukio blinked at his device before glancing up at her.

'Twenty two,' he replied and Rukia tilted her head curiously, 'why?'

'You look younger,' she commented taking a sip of her matcha latte.

'So do you,' his emerald eye sparkled with mirth, 'what age are you anyway? Three hundred?'

Rukia choked on her drink and glared at him. He sat looking incredibly proud of himself, not a hint of embarrassment from having asked a woman her age. He was cheeky.

'I'm only one hundred and sixty four,' she narrowed her eyes and watched as a smile tugged at his lips, they peeled back to reveal whitened teeth.

'So what? The same age as my great, great, great, great, great-'

'I get your point,' Rukia continued to glare and the boy mustn't have felt the temperature around them drop a few degrees.

'- great, great, great-'

'Alright kiddo,' Rukia could feel the colour springing up into her cheeks now. He was royally ticking her off. As far as souls went, she was still considered incredibly young! Still in the prime of her youth and probably younger than he was in his human years as an equivalent but she didn't want to say that to him and give him something else to tease her for.

'-great grandmother?' he chuckled and Rukia tossed a napkin at him. Yukio dodged it, but proceeded to pick it up off the floor and put it on top of his rubbish pile anyway. Rukia frowned, she'd heard nothing but terrible things about this boy, about how he was pompous and selfish. That tiny act of picking up her litter didn't paint the same picture she'd heard from other people.

'So what kind of date do you have planned for your great, great, great, great, grandmother?' Rukia asked, the edge to her voice enough to tell him that she was still a little peeved at the comment.

'Something incredibly suitable,' he said leaning over the table toward her, his eye sparkling with the cheekiness he'd already shown himself capable of, 'come with me.'

He stood up and pocketed his device. He reached out and picked up her empty tray along with his and walked them over to the counter where he could put the rubbish away. Rukia watched him go, taken by how kind the act had been once again. So far this date was going significantly better than her date with Renji. Rukia glanced around and saw an older woman watching her, she gave Rukia a soft smile and then her eyes flickered to Yukio. Rukia followed her gaze, the man in question was making his way back towards her.

'Ready to go?' he asked and Rukia nodded.

Yukio didn't try and steer her by touching her, instead he jerked his head and Rukia followed the direction he started to walk. He seemed open, his body language told her that maybe he wouldn't be entirely opposed to answering some of her questions, so she decided to test the waters light.

'So who else have you been out on a date with?' Rukia asked.

'Just Kiyone,' he said leading them back down the flights of stairs and out into the hot Tokyo sunlight, 'I asked Momo out too but she didn't seem keen.'

'Don't take that one personally, I think she only has eyes for Captain Hitsugaya,' Rukia said and watched as Yukio's steps faltered for a second.

'I see,' he replied simply.

'You don't like Captain Hitsugaya?' Rukia asked and watched as Yukio cast a nervous glance at her.

'I don't know him, except that he embarrassingly kicked my ass,' Yukio shrugged and it made Rukia nervous that he was now walking backwards so he could face her and continue their conversation. Rukia quickened her pace so she could walk beside him before he walked into someone and he laughed as he turned back around.

'I forget that you fought him in that battle,' Rukia said.

'I don't,' he muttered sulkily, 'it was a royal thrashing, I've never eaten ice cream since.'

Rukia paused in her step and burst out laughing. Yukio looked mildly amused back down at her.

'Why ice cream?' she asked.

'Ice,' he shuddered, 'he completely encased me in it, it was most uncomfortable.'

'You do realise that my power is ice too?' Rukia smiled up at him and he pretended to look shocked.

'That's it, you're disowned.'

'Oi,' Rukia poked him hard in the side and he scrambled away from her icy touch.

'You ice users are all the same,' he shrugged and Rukia could tell he wasn't really being serious, 'you're all raw power and no skill.'

'No skill?' Rukia snorted, now mildly offended, 'I'll take you on any time any place, just name the stakes and I'm game.'

His eye flickered with amusement and he paused to brush his hair from the other side of his face so that Rukia could now see both of his eyes. 'I'm so glad you said that, because I choose right here.' He turned and held a door open for her. Rukia only hesitated for a second before walking into the lowly lit space.

Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust, from the blistering heat and sun of Tokyo to the dim and air conditioned space of the arcade. She could hear the various machines whirring, their playful tunes announcing wins and defeats, each machine trying to call loudly enough to entice players. It was a space that Rukia had been in a couple of times with Ichigo, Orihime, Chad and Uryu when they'd hang out together after school sometimes.

Rukia could hear the distant sound of bowling, the balls knocking the pins down and calling out the strikes and points. The air had a clean metallic smell and rubbery scent, and Yukio waited patiently for her as she slid into the space. The door closed behind them, blocking out the sun and Rukia watched a few excited friends chatting and cheering as their friends sat on giant fake car seats controlling something on a screen in front of them.

'First time?' Yukio asked.

'Nope,' Rukia said with a smile, 'though I've never been to this particular arcade before,' she replied. He seemed a little surprised by her response but grinned and pulled a handful of change out of his pocket.

'Ready to fight Soul Reaper?' he asked and Rukia narrowed her eyes.

'Bring it.'

He laughed and led her toward the racing machines. Rukia felt her heart sink, she was never very good at the racing games. The stupid little foot pedals always threw her off. Yukio slipped into one of the large hardback plastic chairs and with a sigh Rukia joined him. She recognised the look of the Mario character instantly and Yukio was quick to select Diddy Kong as his racing character. Rukia manoeuvred to Yoshi with some difficulty because everyone knew that Yoshi was the best.

'Is that because you're a dinosaur?' Yukio asked and Rukia shot him a glance.

'Did you make a selection based on the fact you're a cheeky monkey?' Rukia retorted. Yukio sat laughing in his seat and almost missed the chance for a speed boost at the beginning of the race. Rukia had never worked out how Ichigo and his friends did that, so she was already behind from the moment the first race started.

Rukia did, however, manage to hit him with a spiky blue shell and it made her feel a little better even if he did win.

'Best of three?' he asked with a grin and Rukia sighed.

'Fine,' she huffed.

'Don't like losing?' he asked.

'Not particularly,' Rukia gritted her teeth and took the steering wheel back in her hand, the next two races went exactly the same as the first, except instead of finishing in 6th place Rukia managed to at least get on the podium's third place by the final race.

'Good game,' he chuckled, his voice smug and Rukia glared at him. He looked sheepishly happy and nodded his head over to the next machine.

'Maybe they'll be more your thing?' he asked and Rukia glanced over to see him pointing to two large motor bikes which were attached to a large red booth.

He pulled himself gracefully from his seat and Rukia scrambled up quickly after him, not wanting to be left behind as new players filled their slots. He didn't look as graceful getting onto the bike and Rukia realised with a small smirk that he relied too much on the screen and the buttons doing the work for him. Physical things didn't seem to be his forte. Making the mental note, Rukia gracefully slipped onto the bike and had to lean forward so that her body could reach all the right points. She had her feet on the pedals and her hands on the handles. Yukio quickly explained what each section was used for as this was Rukia's first time on this particular game. She sat back for a moment as he put the coins in the machine and watched a few bystanders stopping to watch their match. It made her nervous but she felt better on a machine where her body could help her control instead of relying only on her hands to steer.

The game counted them down, the green light signalling the start of the race and Rukia hit the throttle full. Though Yukio was out ahead of her, Rukia actually cut the corners pretty tight, her body splaying itself with ease over to the left and right of the bike. The bike might have required a bit of bulk to move, but Rukia was strong and she found, by hooking her foot under the pedal of the opposite side, she could pull the bike in the direction she wanted to turn much faster. It didn't take her long before she overtook Yukio and shot out ahead of him.

There was an excited murmuring behind them and as soon as Rukia was across the finish line she sat back with a smug grin on her face.

'Yeah, yeah,' Yukio's narrowed eyes met hers, 'don't be so damn proud of yourself, best of three remember?'

But Yukio was bested in all three of the rounds and finally had to admit defeat on the bikes. He sat back looking roughly disapointed but Rukia could see the impressed stares he tossed her way as she dismounted the bike.

'What other games do we actually have to move to use?' Rukia asked excited as she let one of the boys who were waiting, take her place on the bike.

'Let's go for one of the shooting games,' Yukio nodded off toward a giant machine that sat in the centre of the arcade and Rukia reached into her dress pocket and pulled out a hair tie. Sweeping her growing hair back from her face and up where it wouldn't get in her way, she picked up one of the giant guns.

Yukio put the money in the machine and explained that this time, they'd be working together to shoot the zombies as they made their way through a mansion.

'You know,' Rukia muttered as she blasted the head off a zombie who had gotten a little too close, 'this game is offensive to my people.'

Yukio laughed so hard he was eaten and it was game over for the two of them. Rukia silently took that as another win and so far it was four to three in her mind. She didn't say that out loud to Yukio who genuinely looked so relaxed that he was actually _enjoying _himself.

The next round went significantly better. They made it up to level three before Rukia was chopped by a butcher wielding zombie that sprang at her from nowhere.

'So much for having my back,' she tutted at Yukio, 'worst date ever.'

'Hey!' he looked affronted at her comment, 'I had my own zombie horde to deal with.'

'Shocking,' Rukia was ignoring him and shaking her head, muttering to herself, 'disgusting behaviour. Chivalry is dead.'

'Alright Kuchiki, watch your mouth,' he laughed.

'That reminds me, how do I say your last name?' she asked, pulling the gun back up to her chest as the intro played again.

'Vorarlberna?' he asked.

'Unless you have any other last names I don't know about,' she pointed her gun at the screen and tried to shoot his character, but the game didn't work like that. Yukio scoffed at her, his character turning around and doing the same. Rukia was about to shout at him but realised he'd actually just shot a zombie over her shoulder.

'Pay attention, Kuchiki,' he mocked and Rukia internally kicked him. Scurrying after him into the house, they proceeded to shoot the undead, only when they got a rhythm going did he answer her question.

'It came from my Grandfather, he was Russian, it's pronounced "Vor-ar-el-ber-na,"' he sounded it out nice and slow and Rukia attempted to copy the sounds he was making. She struggled to get her Japanese accent to curl around the words in just the right away and eventually they settled on the fact she could just call him Yukio.

'I'm from the states anyway,' he shrugged putting his gun away into the hard plastic metal holder once Rukia had been cleaved by the same butcher on the same level, 'so the whole last name formality doesn't bother me.'

'That's true,' Rukia smiled copying him and putting her gun away. He led her down rows of more machines, this time stopping at one labelled "Street Fighter."

He refused to let Rukia pay for anything, even just change in these machines. Rukia watched as he showed her how to move the characters and what buttons to press and she proceeded to have her ass handed to her three times before she'd had enough.

'How your fingers can move that quickly,' Rukia frowned and shook her head, she missed the flirtatious glance that he sent her way immediately after her words.

They walked further into the arcade, the sound of bowling getting louder the more they pressed through the rows of machines. Rukia had lost all sense of time, she couldn't see the sun which she'd usually use to help her internal clock and there wasn't wall mounted clock to be seen anywhere. She knew that Ukitake would be happy with her taking the full day off, given that they were (mostly) ahead with their paperwork, but it still felt odd to be away from the office space for this long.

They passed a prize machine and an inhumane sound clawed its way from Rukia's throat. The machine contained a number of limited edition Chappy plushies and there were at least three she didn't have yet. Rukia latched herself onto the machine, greedily drinking in the sight of the adorable fuzzy little rabbits.

'Chappy fan?' Yukio asked and Rukia watched him smiling down at them, 'let me see if I still have game.'

He pulled a few coins from his pocket and popped them into the machine. The lights came on to signify his turn to play and Rukia eagerly pointed to the Chappy in the pale blue kimono. Yukio maneuverer the controls the same way he had with the street fighter game and Rukia had to marvel at his skill.

The first two times the claw dropped the plushie, Rukia let out a heartbroken gasp, but on his third attempt the plushie made it all the way down the tube and Rukia celebrated with him, jumping to give him a high five that he'd purposefully put out of reach. She scooped the plushie into her arms and the fur was so incredibly soft against her skin. The fabric stunk of the packaging peanuts it had been lying in and the metallic scent of the machine. It almost reminded her of that metallic scent she'd smelled during the last exam.

'That reminds me,' she said moving the plushie away from her nose for a moment, 'the scent exam, how did yours go?'

'Oh,' Yukio blinked at her, 'are we allowed to talk about it?'

'Yeah, well, all the Omega's have been talking about it,' Rukia shrugged, 'so we can talk about it too, we're friends right?'

His expression softened and an adorable smile pulled at his lips, 'yeah we are.'

They leaned against some of the machines in the corner that no one was using. The one that Yukio leaned against had a giant "out of order" sign stuck to the front of its screen. It was much easier not to be overheard as no one seemed to be coming close to this particular corner.

'Well, the scents were all really good,' Yukio was looking off into the distance, the frown in his blond brows the only indicator that he was thinking hard. 'I liked almost all of them, didn't have any huge reactions to any one in particular but I think it's just because I'm not as invested in becoming a father as some of the others, so maybe that's why the scent of an Omega in heat didn't cause all the reactions I've heard about.'

'So you remained upright for them is what you're saying?' Rukia asked. Yukio fixed her with a calculating look, as if trying to read her.

'Yeah I did. You didn't?' he asked.

Rukia's face answered for her, the heat creeping up her neck and out over her cheeks before she could properly fathom an answer to his question.

'Oh really?' he asked, genuinely curious, 'which one?'

'There was a metallic scented one,' Rukia said, she didn't want to offend him if it was his scent so she tried to keep her facial expression neutral, 'that one I didn't like much. There was also a… fresh scent, like fresh air or cotton or something and that one…' she shook her head.

'Did it for yah?' he asked and chuckled when she hid her face into her plush.

'None of them were mine,' Yukio shrugged, 'my ex told me my scent is a bit more… lavish.'

'Like leather?' Rukia asked curiously and he nodded.

'Yeah, like leather and the plastic of gaming machines,' he rolled his eyes, 'or so she says.'

'That'd make sense, there was one there that smelled just like that,' Rukia nodded, remembering the first scent, the soothing one. 'Did you even go through a rut when you wore that t-shirt?' she asked.

Yukio quirked a brow, 'we're getting personal now aren't we?' he asked and Rukia rolled her eyes.

'I'm just asking.'

'Well, nah, I didn't want to take any of those drugs. I'm still not one hundred percent sure they're not trying to do me in,' he shrugged and Rukia hid her laugh in her Chappy.

'I can assure you, if they wanted to "do you in" they'd have done it by now,' Rukia smiled and he grinned back at her. 'So I'm curious about you then, any scents catch your eye?' she asked.

Yukio was thoughtful for a while, 'one more than the others stood out, yeah. It smelt like chocolate, but like… milk chocolate, like British white chocolate with something fresh sweet cut through it-'

'Like raspberries or cranberries?' Rukia asked instantly.

'Yeah,' Yukio glanced at her, 'was that yours?'

'No, but I know who it belongs too,' Rukia couldn't stop the grin now as it spilled over her face.

'Who?' he asked eagerly.

'No, no, that'd be telling,' she shook her head with a smirk.

The scent was one Rukia was very familiar with. The scent resided in most objects inside her nest… crisp and sweet was the smell of the chocolate and then the fresh tang of the berries that permeated the tones. The scent of Kiyone.

Yukio's face fell into an adorable pout, 'that's not fair.'

'It's absolutely fair,' Rukia couldn't help but relax further. She was looking at Yukio through a renewed lens and it was a sight she was enjoying. Yukio and her maybe weren't compatible sexually, but she could easily see them becoming friends, even more so if he ended up mates with Kiyone.

Yukio's brow was furrowed and his eyes narrowed, 'how do I know it isn't yours huh?' he asked.

'Because,' Rukia smirked up at him, 'I've been told I smell like Christmas.'

That seemed to catch him off guard and he blinked at her, then recognition dawned on his face. 'Oh, yeah I know exactly what scent yours was. The cinnamon, ginger and vanilla scent.'

'Vanilla?' Rukia asked blinking, that was the first time she'd heard of that.

'Didn't you know?' he quirked a brow at her and then a sly smile slipped across his face, 'maybe that's your heat scent.'

Rukia felt the heat climbing up her neck again and out over her cheeks, her embarrassment only seemed to make him laugh though. Scents were usually made up of two, three or sometimes four notes. Each was distinct to the individual, and their scent would fluctuate between the notes depending on their mood or what they were doing. Take Ichigo for example, his sweet citrus note, strawberry and sugary scent would change… Rukia had smelled him during a rut when his strawberry tones, which carried the pheromones were more potent. If he'd been working out and stripped his scent patches off before a shower, then the sugary tang was stronger but after a battle… she'd smelt the citrus note stronger before he'd put fresh patches on. Sometimes a note could lay in dormant and would only become distinguishable from the others when someone fell into a rut or heat. For Rukia it appeared hers was probably the vanilla.

She supposed there could have been way worse scents than vanilla. Overall she was pleased with the revelation, it reminded her of vanilla ice cream.

'So it's certainly not yours,' Yukio asked, keeping his green eyes on her face and trying to study her expression. Rukia smoothed her features into a cool impassive look and Yukio narrowed his eyes. 'Was it Kiyone's?'

'Do you want it to be?' Rukia said back quickly, not giving anything away. He considered her for a while and then shrugged.

'I'd rather it was you or Kiyone I got paired with to be honest,' Yukio replied.

'Really?' Rukia asked blinking, 'not Rangiku?'

His face seemed to drain of colour and he swallowed.

'N-not really,' he shook his head and Rukia stared at him dumbstruck.

'Why not?' She was genuinely curious herself now.

'You tell me whose scent it was and I'll tell you why,' he offered and crossed his arms in front of himself. Rukia clenched her jaw and glared at him. She really wanted to know, but at the same time didn't wish to lose Kiyone's confidence. In the end she decided to deflect the blow and try again from a different angle.

'But Rangiku is probably the most attractive woman in the Seireitei…' Rukia frowned.

'Exactly,' he said clapping a hand to his forehead, 'have you _seen _her? She's like a model, she's so tall too.'

'So you don't like tall girls?' Rukia probed, pleased she was getting her answer regardless.

'Well… look at me,' he waved a hand at himself, blush still very visible as it clashed with the blond hair on his head, 'what am I meant to do? Climb her?'

Rukia started laughing, she laughed way too loud that Yukio flushed even brighter red and turned and walked away. Rukia instantly felt terrible but had to let her laughter subside before she caught up with him. When she found him, he was tossing a ball into a machine at the back, aiming for the hoop. His blush had receded from his face but he still glared at her as she approached.

'I'm sorry,' Rukia replied, 'that was just a hilarious image to put in my head.'

'I had intended for it to be funny,' Yukio shrugged, picking the ball back up and tossing it up into the hoop again. 'I just didn't expect you to laugh so hard at it.'

'It was very funny,' Rukia shook her head, 'but I'm really concerned about something.'

That drew his attention. The ball that had just rolled back down into the starting position sat there forgotten as he turned to look at Rukia.

'What's worrying you?' he asked.

'Rangiku is a good friend of mine, she's a wonderful person. Yes she can be very full on, yes she can be a bit intimidating, but she's honestly lovely, and she wants to be a mother more than anything else in the world.' Rukia shrugged, 'and that's been both you and Ichigo who have admitted being a bit intimidated by her.'

'So you're worried she won't get her chance to become a mother?' Yukio asked with a frown.

'Yeah,' Rukia studied his face, watching her own emotions starting to reflect back. Regardless of what Rukia had heard of him, Yukio struck her as a very empathetic person. Perhaps he'd just grown up a lot in the last few years.

'Well, she could always do it through a sample right?' he asked finally. Rukia sighed and shuffled her weight. 'What?'

'Well… I can't speak for Rangiku, but the prospect of being impregnated in a lab by a turkey baster isn't exactly romantic.'

It was Yukio's turn to laugh now, he groaned at the image and put a hand over his face but laughed through his awkwardness.

'I guess not,' he finally said.

'I think for Rangiku she'd like… like it to be a bit more real than that you know?' Rukia sighed and Yukio narrowed his eyes at her.

'Alright, Kuchiki, here's the deal, next machine is your choice. If you beat me best two out of three rounds, then I will agree… to… to _try _if I'm paired with Rangiku.'

Rukia beamed up at him and he rolled his eyes back at her.

'Alright, then I know exactly what machine,' Rukia reached down and grabbed his hand. His fingers were startlingly warm against her own, which didn't shock her. Everyone's hands felt warm against hers. She led him back down through the rows of games he'd run to get away from her and stopped, gazing with a smile at the machine. Yukio stopped beside her and she watched as dawning recognition appeared on his face.

'Fucking crapsikle,' he sighed.

Rukia laughed and bounded over to the dance machine, putting her things down on the ground beside it. Yukio dragged his feet in the machines direction and climbed up onto the other side. The dance machine was old school, an up, down, left and right arrow in pink and blue colours lit up the floor underneath their feet. Behind them was a resting bar which would stop them falling out but would also allow them to lean against between songs. Rukia went to fish change out of her bag but Yukio had already inserted the coins by the time she found one. The machine lit up and the instructions were called out, Rukia cycled through some tunes but didn't recognise any song names. It had been far too long since she'd been on one of these machines with Orihime back in the world of the living.

'Here,' Yukio highlighted a song and Rukia blinked at the English name. She was sure she'd gotten the translation wrong in her head as she frowned at it.

'Dance Monkey?' she asked gazing at him. Yukio grinned.

'Yeah, by Tones and I, bloody belter,' Yukio selected it and Rukia waited as she was counted down. The song started and she realised he'd selected an easy song to dance to. Rukia rolled her eyes, her movements were far too good to get a single step less than perfect and by the end of the song Rukia and Yukio had both perfected every move. He looked incredibly pleased with himself but Rukia took over this time.

'Good song,' she said, 'but not challenging enough.'

Yukio's facial expressions morphed into one of torture as Rukia selected a hard song and the real battle commenced. Rukia was used to winning these against Ichigo, Orihime, Renji and even Rangiku when she'd dragged them during their mission in the world of the living. The only person to have ever beaten Rukia once on these machines was Tatsuki and Rukia put it down to being out of touch with her gigai and Tastuki having inhumane reflexes.

When it came to dancing, Rukia took a loss seriously. After all that was how she summoned the strength of her zanpakuto. Her and Sode No Shirayuki danced together. The song started and Yukio was already losing points. Rukia scolded herself when she got a 'great' instead of a 'perfect' on some of the steps. Her legs moved lightning fast and eventually Yukio was so far behind in points he gave up and leaned, panting, against the barrier behind them. The song drew to a close and Rukia frowned at the screen, seeing that there were at least two other humans who had scored higher than her on that song.

'You even got on the scoreboard?' Yukio asked sounding stunned.

'Not first though,' Rukia continued to frown at the screen and she could feel Yukio rolling his eyes behind her.

'You get to kick my ass at one more,' he sighed pushing himself away from the barrier and Rukia smirked up at him.

'I'll pick an easier one,' she said.

'No you won't,' he laughed and she laughed back because he was right.

Rukia selected just as complicated a song, this time a BTS number and this time Yukio really did try. By the end of the song he was panting and a sweaty mess, Rukia studied him curiously then pursed her lips.

'What?' he asked.

'Nothing,' Rukia tried to stop her giggle but she couldn't stop where her thoughts had gone.

'I hate when girls do that,' Yukio glared at her.

'It's just,' Rukia lifted her bag and other belongings up from where she'd put them on the ground, 'you're going to need to work on your stamina is you're going to mate with a Shinigami… especially Rangiku.'

Yukio glared playfully at her, but behind his gaze she saw the flicker of genuine concern. He clearly hadn't thought about that aspect of this process. Glad she'd at least put it on his radar, Rukia nodded her head and they wandered further into the arcade.

Overall it had to be at the top of the list of best dates of Rukia's life, not that she'd been on many. When they had the conversation as friends, it seemed to relax the two of them and break the tension. They were just two people hanging out, chatting, making jokes. They stayed long enough to have dinner at the grubby internal café that turned out to do some mean katsudon then they were walking their way back out into the night.

'Do you need me to walk you back?' he offered stopping in front of the same train station they'd met at.

'What? Back to the underworld?' Rukia joked and he rolled his eyes.

'I'm staying there too remember?' he pointed out and Rukia had honestly forgot that he was lodging near Ichigo.

'Why aren't you coming back?' Rukia asked.

'I have a business to run here,' Yukio shrugged, 'so gotta take care of some stuff before I come back.'

'Be careful,' Rukia frowned and he rolled his eyes and smirked at her.

'I'll be fine,' he pulled a black sleek electronic device from inside his pocket and winked at her. 'Anyone messes with me, they're getting ported into The Night of the Living Dead.'

Rukia laughed as he turned and walked away and shook her head.

She was confident of two things following that date. One; Yukio was down to earth, had grown up a lot and was… _cool_. Two; that Kiyone would be incredibly happy with him _if _they were paired up.

Making a mental note to grill her for more details on their date, Rukia turned on her heel and made her way back to the same quiet ally where she could open the senkaimon.

* * *

Just a few short minutes later Rukia was throwing herself down streets of the Seireitei in a panic. She'd forgotten that she'd arranged to meet Ichigo and Orihime for dinner and was now drastically late. Thankfully they didn't look too discouraged when she finally did show up at the restaurant.

'I'm so, so sorry,' she bowed her head low and Ichigo waved her off.

'We know how busy you are Rukia,' Orihime said kindly as she slipped into the booth opposite them. Rukia was about to respond that she'd been on a date but she shared a look with Ichigo and decided against it. She wasn't sure how much Orihime knew, or was allowed to know about what was going on, so until she could figure that out, she deflected.

'What brings you here Orihime?' Rukia asked, after ordering a very light soup.

'Well, at first I had no idea, they summoned me through Ichigo,' Orihime said in her dramatic voice that Rukia had missed, 'so I thought I was in trouble. When I got here though everyone was so kind and Captain Kotetsu explained that they'd like me to be present for the births.'

Orihime clapped her hands together and beamed at Rukia who smiled back.

'That's great news Orihime, you must be so excited,' she smiled.

'I am, at first I still didn't understand, I mean Captain Kotetsu is more than able to deliver a baby… but because not a single baby has been delivered in her lifetime and I deflected onto the obstetrician course at my University they decided to ask for my help.'

'It makes sense that they'd want someone more experienced with babies to be here, and given that you're also a healer that's extra helpful,' Rukia grinned. Ichigo was being incredibly quiet, he was pushing some food around his plate and looking incredibly contemplative. Rukia noticed that he was sporting a fresh cut on his chin.

'I'm really excited,' Orihime said, 'I've told Ichigo that you and the other Omega's and Alpha's on this course should come and visit me and some of the babies sometime in the world of the living.'

'Can we do that?' Rukia asked quirking her brow at Orihime.

'If you guys can sneak into school looking like you all do, I am sure a hospital will be no problem,' she laughed and Rukia laughed too, because she had a point. They'd likely be able to go undercover as nurses with ease.

Not long after their mains were served, Orihime slipped away to go to the bathroom and Rukia rounded on Ichigo.

'Alright what's going on?' she asked.

Ichigo glanced back over his shoulder then eagerly leaned over toward Rukia like he'd been waiting for an opportunity to talk to her. 'I confronted Renji today.'

Rukia started and blinked. In all her tasks and workload, she'd completely forgotten about the whole Renji ordeal, 'and?' she asked.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow and pointed at his chin, 'that was before Captain Kotetsu healed it. He cut me so deep there's still a scar.'

Rukia flinched and leaned back into her seat, her eyes still locked onto Ichigo's face. His expression must have mirrored her own; confused and scared for their friend. They sat in companionable silence for a while before Ichigo finally said the words that Rukia had been thinking.

'I think it's best if you talk to him,' Ichigo finished, 'every time I try, he just cuts me up. He gets really aggressive and angry but I think he's just scared.'

'Yeah,' Rukia nodded her head and sighed, 'I can't ignore it as his friend.'

'Be careful though, try and corner him when he's not got his zanpakuto with him,' Ichigo scowled at whatever memory came to mind and Rukia tried not to laugh at his misery.

'I'll do that, worst case scenario I'll just freeze every part of him, except his head until he's finished talking,' Rukia laughed and Ichigo broke out into that stupid grin of his she loved so much. As much as Rukia enjoyed teasing him and making him angry and hurt, she really did value those genuine beaming smiles when they adorned his features.

'I'm back,' Orihime announced, as if concerned she was interrupting a private conversation. It hadn't been far from the truth and Rukia realised the way that Ichigo and Rukia must have been smiling at each other may have looked suspicious. Rukia hastily cleared her throat.

'So Orihime, will you be wearing Shinigami uniform while here? Or scrubs from the world of the living?'

It had been the first question that had popped into Rukia's mind to deflect the conversation. Ichigo's eyes rolled at how obvious it was and Rukia barely resisted kicking him under the table. _Barely. _

'Oh, I hadn't thought about it,' Orihime replied, 'I'd rather wear my scrubs I think, the uniforms here are for soldiers not for the hospital.'

Rukia was nodding along, though she was barely listening, 'that makes sense.'

'Anyway, I want to know,' Orihime said, her eyes briefly flickering to Ichigo and back to Rukia, 'who do you think you'll be paired with?'

'As long as it isn't Renji,' Rukia sighed and both Ichigo and Orihime made a face.

'But I thought you and Renji were close friends?' Orihime asked.

'Yes, but his scent,' Rukia shook her head, she was now about eighty percent sure that awful metallic scent had been his, 'we're just not compatible that way.'

'Oh,' Orihime sat back in her chair looking a little deflated and her eyes flickered to Ichigo's again. Rukia had to wonder if Orihime was hoping for a different answer to that question. Maybe hoping she'd say anyone but Ichigo because they were too close? Or maybe she was hoping that Rukia was happily going to announce that it would be Renji she was paired with. Rukia followed Orihime's gaze and met Ichigo's, his eyes boring into her.

'What about Yukio?' he asked.

Rukia blinked, 'what about him?'

'Last time we had this conversation, you didn't seem keen on him either, what changed?'

'Ah,' Rukia could feel the heat climbing up her face. She wasn't embarrassed to admit she'd enjoyed her date with Yukio, but she was now worried about how Ichigo would take the information and how that might reflect into his… _friendship?_ with Orihime.

'Well,' Rukia considered him, and decided the truth was best, 'I just came back from a date with Yukio actually.'

'A date!' Orihime exclaimed and clapped her hands together, 'that's wonderful, that explains your dress! How did it go?'

Ichigo's jaw seemed to have gone slack, his smile from earlier completely gone from his face. His eyes blinked dumbly at Rukia, like he hadn't heard a single word of what Orihime had said.

Rukia decided not to spare his feelings, part of her wanted to push him, to see his genuine reactions to everything the same way she'd been forced to reconcile her feelings about him when he was off enjoying himself with Rangiku. Rukia turned to Orihime and _gushed _about her date with Yukio, she told the other girl everything, from their heart to heart, to her kicking his ass on various games, to the flirting. She left out the parts about Kiyone and Rangiku, not wanting to talk about them quite yet. Her eyes slipped over to Ichigo's as she spoke occasionally and his response was the polar opposite to Orihime's.

Ichigo's food had now been left untouched, his body sat rigid in his chair and there were genuine frown lines between his brows. Rukia hadn't seen him look that sad, since she'd had to say goodbye to him all those years ago when he'd lost his powers.

Orihime, on the other hand, looked ecstatic, eagerly asking questions for more details and commenting on the way Rukia seemed so happy. When she turned back to Ichigo and saw Ichigo's expression, however, her face fell.

It was clear what was happening here, Ichigo was jealous and Orihime was sad that he was. Ichigo's eyes finally diverted from Rukia and back at his plate.

'Are you not hungry?' Orihime asked, a little sadly.

'Not anymore,' Ichigo said and Rukia felt a tiny piece of her shatter at his words. She knew it had been cruel to try and push him, to test him. But there was a huge part of her that wanted to understand if Ichigo was just as confused about his feelings as she was about hers.

Rukia now had her answer.

The dinner ended on a slightly sombre note, though Orihime tried her best to lighten the mood. Ichigo and Rukia walked Orihime back to the gates that would take her home, then they were alone again, wandering through the vacant streets of the Seireitei. The sun had long set, and apart from the occasional patrol they met very little other souls. Rukia realised that Ichigo was walking her home after they past the obvious fork in the road that would have led him toward the first division instead.

A heavy and tense silence hung in the air, and Rukia hated it. She hated it because it wasn't _them. _Their relationship was endless teasing, abuse to the point of unrecognised flirtation and it was what made their friendship so strong. This silence was unlike anything she'd ever experienced with Ichigo and as she glanced up at him she could see he seemed just as confused about the situation as she was. It was time to talk.

Rukia released a long sigh and turned fully toward him.

'We should talk about this,' she started. It wasn't a good start, but at least it was a start.

'What?' he asked feigning ignorance that made her scowl.

'This,' she flickered a finger in between them, 'us.'

'What is there to talk about?' Ichigo asked, his jaw clenching and his fist clenching too, 'it's already apparent that we won't end up together.'

'The results of this experiment are unnecessary Ichigo,' Rukia said, basically repeating back the advice her brother had given her, 'we can still choose each other if we want. The purpose of this is to open us up to other partners that maybe we wouldn't have considered before.'

'Like Yukio?' his voice came in a bit of a snarl, an Alpha growl permeating the words and it made the Omega part of Rukia shudder.

'Yes,' she replied. They'd stopped walking now, just around the corner from the gates that led into the thirteenth division. Ichigo considered her, and Rukia did her best to read the emotions on his face. They'd been reading each other's faces and movements for years, but this was new. There were emotions here that she'd never seen on his face before. After another few moments of silence, Rukia realised that, true to his gender stereotypes, the male Alpha wasn't good talking about his feelings. Rukia decided to take the lead.

'When you and Rangiku were spending time together, I felt jealous,' Rukia started, 'it's taken me a while to come to terms with those feelings. I am still not sure where they stem from, but they're present. That's undeniable. I've had time to sort through them, and if you were to end up paired with someone else,' Rukia sighed, 'I think I'd be okay with that.'

There was more silence that followed her words, but Rukia was patient. She could tell by the look on his face that Ichigo was just trying to process everything. It was well known that Alpha's weren't as good at this as Omega's, especially male Alpha's.

'Hearing about your date with Yukio definitely angered me,' Ichigo sighed and ran a hand down his face, 'but I don't know where those feelings came from.'

'Was it protectiveness or jealousy? Because they would signify different things,' Rukia asked.

'I don't know,' Ichigo groaned and eyed Rukia, 'but… I wonder…' his facial features had changed. Rukia recognised this look now, she'd seem him look like that when he'd been about to attempt something reckless and stupid in battle. She quirked a brow at him and Ichigo took a step forward. Rukia frowned, but the Omega part of her took over, she took a step back until she was backed up against the wall of one of the buildings. Ichigo was looking at her intently, expectantly and Rukia was feeling like a deer caught.

'What are you-' her words were cut off as his head ducked down and he caught her lips with his. It had been so unexpected that for a while Rukia just tensed against his lips. She remembered back to when he'd kissed her on the cheek, but that had been at the end of their date and somewhat expected. She hadn't been prepared for this move at all.

It took her brain a few seconds to start sending signals again and when it did, she finally decided to give this a try. Rukia closed her eyes and relaxed into it, her mouth parting and Ichigo's breath infiltrating it. Ichigo tentatively moved his lips against hers, testing the water, but something felt… _off. _Rukia realised, and Ichigo pulled back shaking his head.

'No,' he replied and flinched.

'That felt weird,' Rukia agreed. It hadn't felt bad, just wrong, though that could have been because Ichigo hadn't seemed that into it, despite being the one who initiated it.

Ichigo made a face and took another step back, 'that felt like kissing my sister.'

Rukia tensed and then burst out laughing at the words. It was horrible because it was true.

And suddenly her feelings for Ichigo made sense. Ichigo was family to her. She was protective of him because he was family. She was possessive because if anyone hurt him, it would inadvertently hurt her too.

'Maybe it's because you used to live in my house and wear my sisters pajamas and boss me around like my sisters do,' Ichigo said with a fond smile and shake of his head.

'So what does this mean for us then?' Rukia asked, now even more worried about the outcomes of the project. Ichigo was thoughtful, staring off down the empty streets, where the lanterns had been lit. The glow cast a deliberating shadow over his features, highlighting the cut on his chin.

'I think it means we make a pact,' he nodded finally, 'if, at the end of this, neither of us are happy with who we are paired with, and part of you wishes to have a child… then I will help.'

'You will?' Rukia asked, feeling elated at his answer, 'even if it's like kissing your sister?'

Ichigo rolled his eyes, 'I'm sure I can muscle my way past the gag reflex.'

'I don't know if I should be happy or repulsed by that answer, Kurosaki,' Rukia laughed.

'I might just be repulsed by you,' he made a fake gagging noise and Rukia, who had been wanting to do it for the majority of the night, finally hit him.

* * *

**Oh dear... where is this going now? We have a lot of unresolved drama and tension to deal with over next few chapters! Has this changed / confirmed anyone thoughts on the final pairings yet?**

**If you'd like to be kept up with how my writing is going and when the next chapter is due, you can follow me on trello (link is at bottom of my profile) this will keep you notified what Bleach fics I am working on and when. **

**Thanks for reading! As always I love reviews :D **


	7. Evening Unease

**Massive thanks to uchihaNaruto247, Harbinger Of Kaos, Xiumin Snape, Ice Maiden Olivier & Xiyou-Chan for leaving me reviews on my last chapter!**

**Ice Maiden: Let the image of Yukio climbing consume you :P **

**Xiumin: Hmmm I wonder if you will be right? Maybe this chapter holds answers for you?**

**Harbinger: I loved reading your theories for the pairings haha, keep them coming ;) **

**UchihaNaruto: Thanks for sharing your thoughts!**

**Xiyou: I am sorry for confusing you :P I did make Toshiro a bit taller yes :D haha**

**Sorry for the wait for this chapter guys! Hopefully it's worth it!**

* * *

Rukia was beginning to think that even if she was paired with a mate, that she wouldn't be fertile. She was beyond stressed and though Captain Ukitake had come back to the office to help with paperwork to try and elevate her stress, this just stressed her out more, because she understood how sickly her Captain was.

A good Lieutenant and Omega would be able to look after him, make him feel comfortable and safe, but next to the dates, the paperwork, the training, the recruiting and of course… Kiyone leaving to join the fourth, Rukia was stressed to the point of breaking. She picked up the metal teapot by the wooden handle and placed it over the fire, trying to ignore the way her hand shook. She'd decided to confront Renji today and that was just adding to her stress.

Captain Ukitake was sitting at the desk, working his way through some paperwork, doing his best to appear as well as he could. It was freaking Rukia out.

'Rukia,' his calm voice sighed and Rukia turned to gaze at him. His brown eyes bore into her and she could see the disapproval on his face.

Before Rukia could stop it, a whine tore from her throat and his face contorted with sadness.

'Rukia, you have to calm down,' he sighed and he brought a hand up to his temples to rub them, 'what has you so upset? You seemed fine the other day after your date with young Yukio.'

Rukia took a deep breath and pulled the teapot off the fire, pouring them both a cup of tea.

'If it's the paperwork, between you, Kotsubaki and I, we will keep on top of it,' he finally stated and Rukia shook her head.

'It is not that Captain,' Rukia brought the teacup over to him and he grasped her hand gently as she put it down on the table beside him. Rukia watched, his warm fingers slid up, pulling her uniform away from the scent glands on her wrist. She'd attempted to use a scent patch on them, trying to hide her emotions from the world, but as the scent patches were designed for the neck, they didn't stick as well to the dainty flesh of her thin wrist.

'Why are you covering your wrist scent glands?' he asked carefully. His thumb toyed with one of the edges, where the patch hadn't stuck down properly, 'Omega's don't usually do that?'

'I-I just, I just didn't want you to worry, Captain,' Rukia sighed and the older man's brown eyes met her gaze again. He looked concerned and Rukia hated it, she hated that she was making him worry so much about her.

'Rukia,' his thumb smoothed over the edge of the patch, trying to seal it down for her. The movement felt comforting, like he was accepting that she was trying to hide her emotions from the world. 'Sometime has changed in you, and I'd like you to know that I am here. I know I am an old male Alpha and perhaps that's the furthest person away from you to empathise with your challenges… but regardless I am here to listen, should you need an ear.' He nodded his head and Rukia felt the tears welling behind her eyes.

Captain Ukitake was one of the kindest souls in the Seireitei. Rukia honestly didn't deserve him.

His eyes went wide with alarm, clearly seeing her tears and he began to fret. It was such a rare sight to see a soldier crying in the Seireitei. They were trained to withhold their emotions, taught to hold everything back and here was Rukia, a Lieutenant level soul, standing with tears now sliding down her cheeks.

'Oh, Rukia,' clearly at a loss for what to do, he stood up and engulfed her into his arms. Rukia wrapped her arms around him, her hands clinging to his haori as he tucked her head close against his chest. It had been years since Rukia had been held like this. The last time someone held her like this, had been her brother Byakuya the day that she'd disappeared from Ichigo's sight.

'S-sorry,' she mumbled, 'I just… I'm worried.'

'About what? Please talk to me, maybe I can help?' he asked and he hugged her a little tighter.

'I am worried that I-I won't be able to have a child, if I keep letting the stress get on top of me,' Rukia finally mumbled into his chest. Ukitake placed a hand on her head and rocked them… at least she thought she was being rocked until she heard a light rumble of laughter.

Was he… was he laughing at her?

'Oh, Rukia,' Ukitake chortled, 'that's what's worrying you? I thought perhaps you'd had a big row with your brother over this… or Ichigo… or something else.' Rukia shook her head and took a step away, he let his arms fall back, and smiled down at her, 'you're worried you won't become fertile?'

Rukia frowned up at him, she felt embarrassed and ashamed that he found this so amusing. Did he not understand that she was now in a position where she wanted to have a baby? That she wanted to do her part for the Gotei Thirteen and her noble house? Ukitake shook his head, the smile still playing around his lips.

'I have not been around many fertile Omega's, it's true,' he said simply, 'but I am pretty sure it is universally understood that feeling _hormonal, _is a sign that an Omega is becoming fertile.'

Rukia barely had time to process his response when Kiyone was sliding the door to the office open, a large stack of paperwork piled in her arms.

'Captain, I did those reports, but most of them need your final signature and-' the young blonde had just put the stack down on the desk and met Rukia's eyes. She blinked at Rukia and Rukia hastened to try and wipe her eyes. Kiyone broke into a wide grin.

'You too?' she asked and Rukia gazed into her pale blue eyes. 'Yeah, I couldn't reach something out my cupboard the other day, started bawling my eyes out.'

Kiyone was shaking her head, sighed deeply and picked the top few reports off the pile of paperwork before handing them to Captain Ukitake.

'Are these the ones that require my signature?' Captain Ukitake asked, amusement heavy in his voice.

'That's them,' Kiyone beamed happily. The two of them were chatting and it allowed Rukia a chance to collect her thoughts. She turned away from the conversing duo and went about making Kiyone a cup of tea as well, she felt like she had to be doing something. Rukia caught her reflection in one of the glass bottles beside the fire, where they stored their herbs and leaves for the tea. It was clear she'd been crying, her cheeks were red and her face looked a little blotchy but she felt better now that her emotional inner turmoil had been justified. Rukia straightened up, poured Kiyone a cup of tea and turned to give it to the young girl.

'I am going to take my leave and sign these in my personal quarters,' Ukitake said gesturing his head down to the stack of papers under his arm. His empty teacup was picked up immediately by Rukia, 'I know that the office will be in good hands today. Neither of you have dates lined up do you?' he asked.

'No, I had my last date two nights ago,' Kiyone said with a smile and Rukia blinked, she'd not known that!

'How did it go?' Captain Ukitake asked, offering his third seat a kindly smile.

'Oh it went well, Ichigo is nice,' she shrugged and Rukia was burning with the millions of questions now on her tongue. As if sensing this, Captain Ukitake ducked out with a promise of sending the fourth seat to help the girls manage their paperwork load.

'You and Ichigo went out on a date?' Rukia asked and Kiyone turned her eyes to her, Rukia could feel the smile on her face but still the other Omega hesitated.

'Yes, we did,' she seemed unwilling to discuss the date and Rukia sighed.

'Kiyone, it's fine, Ichigo and I aren't like that. He kissed me last week and it wasn't…' she shook her head. Kiyone's eyes went wide and her mouth fell open.

'You kissed? Tell me everything!' she squealed and Rukia rolled her eyes before filling her in. She told the young blonde about her date with Yukio and the evening dinner with Ichigo and Orihime. Kiyone already knew about Orihime's involvement in the project so that didn't seem to come as a surprise to her.

'Another thing,' Rukia finished, 'I think that you and Yukio will be paired up together,' she nodded her head.

Kiyone flushed, the heat climbing up and spilling across her milky cheekbones. 'What makes you so sure?'

'Because he commented on your scent, I didn't tell him it was yours,' Rukia corrected instantly, 'but I know your scent because we swap nesting material, and it was definitely your scent he was commenting on.'

'That… that would be nice actually,' Kiyone grinned, her eyes seemed to slide in and out of focus as she spoke, 'we got on well together at the arcade.'

'So what happened with Ichigo?' Rukia pressed.

'We just went to lunch. Ichigo and I don't really know each other well so he admitted he didn't really know where to take me. We settled on just getting some food together and chatting, I found out about his schoolwork, his friends and I told him about me transferring to the fourth.' Kiyone shrugged, 'it was nice.'

'So…' Rukia started with the air of someone about to solve a great mystery, 'I don't think I'll be getting paired with Ichigo, and it sounds more like you'll be getting paired with Yukio…' Rukia was thoughtful then Kiyone asked the question that snapped her right back to reality.

'Who do you think will be getting paired with Renji?' Kiyone asked.

Rukia bit her lip to stop any reaction from appearing on her face, she quickly composed herself then shrugged, 'I'm not sure.'

'Momo?' she asked, 'or maybe you?'

'I doubt it will be me, but I do need to go and speak to him today about… about something regarding my brother.'

'Oh,' Kiyone smiled, 'well if you want to go and do it just now, I can start on the paperwork that needs completed today and you can just help when you come back.'

'Are you sure that's okay?' Rukia asked and Kiyone nodded. The third seat made her way over to the stacks of paperwork, as if to solidify her point.

The thirteenth division was seriously going to miss Kiyone when she transferred.

'Thank you,' Rukia gave her colleague a bow and turned to attach her zanpakuto to her waist. Kiyone watched as she tied Sode No Shirayuki with pursed lips.

'That dangerous huh?' she asked with a chuckle and Rukia laughed along with her. It was funny because the girl had no idea… she'd obviously not heard the truth about where Ichigo got that scar on his chin. After triple checking that Kiyone was going to be fine on her own, Rukia opened the doors and slipped out into the hot air of the Seireitei. The sun was beaming down from its position above the rooftops and there was quite a bit of moisture in the air. It clung to Rukia's skin and as she started to move from rooftop to rooftop she could already feel her skin starting to sweat beneath her uniform. Any amount of heat was borderline uncomfortable for her, but it was always made worse when she was in her shihakusho. The heat had always been much easier to deal with in the world of the living, though it was likely because of the ice treats and air conditioning units.

Rukia knew it probably wasn't the best time to visit her friend and have this conversation. With her hormonal outburst already that morning and now the heat seeping uncomfortably into her skin, Rukia knew she'd be quick to anger.

What could she do? She could hardly keep putting it off, not when it was clear that Renji needed her.

Rukia took a deep breath when she landed outside of Renji's living quarters, she was pleased to sense that he was alone and it would, hopefully, make this conversation easier on the two of them. She raised a hand to the door and knocked loudly. Renji's loud voice boomed at her to come in and Rukia slipped the door open and stepped inside. His living quarters were similar to her own, basic, but with much more space provided than those who lived in the barracks. While Rukia tried her best to keep her place clean and presentable, Renji had let dishes pile up and left an alarmingly large number of sake bottles around on various surfaces. Rukia frowned around at the space, trying not to mentally judge her friend but also deciding that it was another issue that they had to address.

'Oh, hey Rukia,' Renji said, shrugging his shoulders when Rukia stepped over a pile of paperwork which looked like they had been used to mop a sake spill that was several days old. Her nose wrinkled, the entire place smelled of the alcohol and it caught and burned at her throat the deeper into his space she clambered.

'Renji,' Rukia said glaring around, 'what's with all this mess?'

'Eh? I'll clean it eventually,' he shrugged.

'Is that just another way of saying that you never will?' Rukia continued to frown at him and he rolled his eyes.

'You're not my mother,' he muttered under his breath, but Rukia still heard him.

There was a beat of silence while Renji proceeded to blunder around his own home looking for something and Rukia hung awkwardly, unsure how to even broach the topic with him. The resulting outcome of this meeting could very well break their friendship and Rukia was terrified of the prospect.

'Renji,' Rukia started, deciding it was better to just try and jump in and start swimming than to never get in the damn water to begin with, 'we need to talk.'

'Mm?' he paused and glanced over at her, he was crouched low looking in one of his kitchen cupboards, where he'd pulled a stack of pans from. 'About what?'

'You know we're best friends right?' Rukia asked, 'we've known each other since we were kids.'

'Yes, I'm aware,' his brows were furrowed now, pulling interestingly at the tattoos on his face, making him seem much more menacing and Alpha like.

'Well,' Rukia took another breath and moved further into the space, closer to him so he could see her full body, and see all her body language. 'When you took me on that date and got drunk, Ichigo helped me carry you home and… you started mumbling in your sleep. Talking really.'

Rukia had started now and though she was feeling better for it, the confused look on his face was making her more apprehensive. She was sure that Ichigo should have gotten to that part of the story at least and she'd hoped that maybe he'd have understood where this conversation was heading. It seemed he didn't and continued to stare at her, waiting for her to make her point.

'You spoke about Byakuya,' Rukia said the name and watched the reaction instantly. Renji's face contorted for a second before smoothing over into impassive lines. The frown from earlier was gone, replaced by something much more blank and sinister.

'What about him?' Renji asked. His voice cracked like a whip across the space and Rukia had to resist the urge to shudder away from him. This was not a good time in her cycle to be dealing with a confrontational male Alpha.

'Renji, do you have romantic feelings for my brother?'

Rukia had just decided to rip this plaster off quick, there was no use in dancing around the edges of it, especially since it was clear that Renji now understood the direction the conversation was heading. The cupboard door closed with a resounding crack and Rukia jumped back, she could feel his spiritual pressure crackle around the space between them. The thrum of Sode No Shirayuki grounded her, and Rukia put her hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto, knowing that the spirit was close and ready to help.

'Why would you ask such a ridiculous question?' Renji snapped, turning and glaring at her across the living space.

'Because you spoke of him in your sleep, because your scent seemed to be repelling every Omega who took part in this stupid project and because my brother seems to have an unfathomable interest in you too,' Rukia called.

Renji had been about to retort back to her, but her last few words seemed to catch him. The heat was creeping up his neck and along his cheekbones but it was not born of embarrassment. It was a deep flush of anger, the anger that Rukia could now smell pouring off him. Though cutting through the notes of the anger, Rukia could smell his unease. Renji was scared.

'What does that mean?' he asked.

'My brother never asked how the Alpha's responded to this stupid project when it was announced, he only ever asked after you, he doesn't seem to care about anyone else.' Rukia narrowed her eyes at him, 'at first I had thought that it was because you were his Lieutenant, but now I wonder…'

Renji raised a hand to his forehead and he grumbled, rubbing at his temples. He seemed torn and Rukia could feel that they were on the edge now. Renji was deciding whether or not to trust her.

'Renji it's me, we watched our friends die together, we joined the academy together, you saved me with Ichigo, you can tell me anything.'

'He made me promise not to tell anyone,' Renji groaned into his hands. Rukia noticed that his hands were shaking, but the anger from earlier was drifting from his scent.

'Who told you not to tell anyone?' Rukia asked.

'Byakuya,' Renji sighed and Rukia noted the familiar name he used for her brother, 'he made me promise not to tell anyone that… well… it only happened one time…'

'What only happened one time?' Rukia felt her mouth falling open, she knew she was about to receive news that she ought not to know.

'Look I was incredibly drunk and I sort of just fell onto him,' Renji frowned and now the flush on his face was one of embarrassment.

'This is-' Rukia shook her head, her hands coming up ready to cover her ears, she didn't need to hear anymore, 'I thought you were straight!'

'I am,' he snapped.

'Straight men don't kiss each other,' Rukia retorted.

There was silence, and Rukia could feel her pulse thrumming in her chest, the rush of blood behind her ears. In her hormonal state, it was making her nervous to approach an Alpha and engage with him in such a fashion. Renji stood at the other side of the room, his hands balled into fists and he glared across the space at her.

'If anyone ever found out,' Renji's voice was shaking with the effort of trying to keep calm, 'they'd kill the two of us.'

'There are a lot of laws in the Seireitei that are outdated and need to be changed,' Rukia frowned, 'but I need you to know that _I _accept you.'

Renji's face tried to smooth into something impassive, but Rukia could see the emotions that her words caused, flickering across his features. He'd been carrying this burden for far too long alone, and Rukia wasn't about to let her best friend, a man who saved her life, suffer like this.

'And if they sent anyone after you and Nii-Sama, I'd be there fighting by your side.' Rukia raised her chin. 'The same way you fought for me all those years ago. The way I know you both would have fought for me if they tried to force a pregnancy on me.'

Renji was deflating before her very eyes. The Alpha side of him, understanding there was no threat here, nothing that anger and power required. There was only love and acceptance… from a soul who could easily freeze him to death, but Rukia figured he wasn't dwelling on that final part.

'What is going on between you and Nii-Sama, is your business and I won't get involved in private affairs. I just want you to know that I love and accept you both, that I will be here to fight for you, and if there's anything I can do with this current project to ensure you're not forced to do something you don't want too, then so be it.'

'What will you do?' Renji asked, a little unsure.

'We can pretend that we were better matches, we could get married, but never…' Rukia jerked her head.

'You'd do that for me?' Renji asked, his voice choking in the middle, 'but what about a child?'

Rukia shrugged, 'I don't need one.'

Renji studied her face, and though Rukia tried her best to hide it, she couldn't keep her secrets from this man.

'You want a baby.'

'I do,' Rukia nodded, 'but Ichigo has already offered to help. He's aware of your situation too, he tried to help. We could… work something out.'

'The things people have to do,' Renji said, 'to hide love from Governing forces who believe it's wrong.'

'I know,' Rukia bit the inside of her cheek, 'I believe these laws will change under Head Captain Kyoraku, but that might be a long time yet.'

'Just so we are clear, I am not gay,' Renji shook his head, 'at least I don't think I am.'

'You don't have to explain anything to me, Renji, if you're gay, bisexual or any other kind of sexual,' Renji's mouth ticked in a smile at her words, 'I will still support you. Unless we're talking sex with minors,' she joked.

Renji choked and gagged at her comment, 'look who's talking! Do you know what age Ichigo was when you were sleeping in his room?'

'Hey!' Rukia put her foot down, an angry flush climbing its way up her cheeks, 'just how do you think Ichigo was brought into this world?! Besides, I don't see him that way.'

Renji laughed and the tension in the room shattered. His laugh was light with relief, his hands were shaking as he placed one of them on the table. Rukia glanced around his space and realised that so much of his behaviour now made sense. The drinking was obviously to drown out his emotions, he was overcompensating in the meeting hall by calling out about Rangiku and having sex with her. He was trying to come across as a straight man would, to stop suspicions and Rukia hated that she couldn't help him more.

'Thank you,' Renji said, 'you've no idea what those words mean to me. I won't take your right to have children away from you, I want you to have the freedom to fall in love. But knowing that you… that you accept and support me… is enough.' His voice shook on the last few words, quivering, like an unsure note on the verge of a middle eight.

Rukia's expression softened at her best friend, 'of course, Renji, always.'

Renji finally crossed the space between them and enveloped her into a warm hug. Her nose buried into his uniform, her senses heightened by the hormones pumping through her system. She wrinkled her nose at the stale scent of alcohol on his clothing. He hadn't been taking good care of himself.

'Go for a shower, you stink,' Rukia pulled away from him and he laughed at her, 'leave your clothes here, I'll wash them and start cleaning up.'

'Is that your Omega side?' he joked and Rukia froze his hand as he reached up to sweep a strand of hair back from her eyes. He yelped and jumped back, his legs catching a table of bottles that rolled out and underfoot before toppling down into the pile of his own mess. Rukia double over with laughter, her hands on her legs as she struggled to breathe. She could hear Renji mumbling obscenities toward her, but she didn't stop and help him up. It was his mess and she'd help him clean it, but not before laughing at him for it first.

'Fine, I suppose it could do with a bit of a clean,' Renji said pulling a bottle out from under him that he'd landed on and, magically, not broken.

After Rukia quelled her giggles, the two of them began pulling out rubbish bags and loading the bottles into them. They worked in silence, only pausing long enough to tease each other or throw things. Once the room was presentable, Renji stripped off his uniform and left it with Rukia to be washed while he went upstairs to shower. Unable to stop the Omega side of herself, Rukia also managed to fix him a small meal with the leftovers from his fridge and sat it on the bunker with a small note. She knew she'd left Kiyone too long and had to return, but Rukia felt like a large weight had been lifted from her shoulders now that the air with Renji had been cleared.

* * *

Kiyone was happy to see Rukia back in the office, because she'd reached the end of the stacks of paperwork she could complete on her own. Rukia walked in, just as the other Omega was floundering over the forms for the various seated officer applications.

'I'm so glad you're back, I don't know where to start,' Kiyone sighed.

'Sorry I took so long,' Rukia apologised for a third time, then glanced down at the various pages of paperwork. It was going to be a long evening for them, and the final decision was, of course, to be made by the Captain.

'Isn't this a Captains job? All the documents are expressing "Captain Only,"' Kiyone said as she flipped through some pages.

Rukia rolled her eyes at the documents, 'they all say that, but everyone know's it's the Lieutenants who organise them.' Rukia held her hand out and Kiyone gave her a stack of paper.

'Unless you're in squad ten,' Kiyone said with a soft laugh. Rukia chuckled as she sat crossed legged down on the floor. She began to place the various forms into piles, depending on the seats the applicants were applying for. In the Seireitei it wasn't always a case of moving up. If the 3rd seat moved onto the Lieutenant position, it didn't always mean that they'd be replaced by the 4th seat and so on. Instead each position was treated as if it were its own job role, and a soul had to apply for any position. This meant that their 8th seat could apply directly to become 3rd seat, but likewise so could an unseated officer.

'There's so many applications,' Kiyone groaned and Rukia sighed. That was the downfall to this system, but it was much more effective than the old method of ensuring they got good, strong, seated officers into positions they were suited for. Rukia could already tell, just from glancing at faces that a lot of the applicants would be getting rejected. There were several who had applied for positions before and Rukia knew that they hadn't even learned the name of their zanpakuto yet. It was the only thing that would make the workload easier on them. Catching on to what Rukia was doing, Kiyone started glancing through the slips and placing them in the appropriate piles that Rukia had made on the floor of the office space.

They worked in companionable silence for half an hour. It was clear some officers were genuinely putting their heart and soul into their applications while others were simply duplicating theirs to increase their odds of getting 1 of the positions available.

'They do realise, that we look at every single application right?' Kiyone asked, a furrow in her brow as she held up two identical applications from the same person for two different seated positions.

Rukia smirked at the other girl, 'welcome to the Gotei 13,' she retorted. Kiyone laughed a high and girlish giggle, ducking her head back down to pick up a third application that was identical to the last two and tore it up.

'Now you're learning,' Rukia said with a laugh.

Rukia stood from her crouched position and groaned as the blood rushed into her stiff limbs, she twisted her spine and made her way over to the desk for a fresh ink pot.

'Susuki has applied,' Kiyone said and Rukia turned on her heel. Kiyone was looking down at a heavy application in her hands, she seemed torn between being impressed and apprehensive. 'She's so new to the squad thought.'

'I know of officers being recruited directly from the academy and into a seated position before,' Rukia said with a shrug. It was a well-known fact that this had happened to Ichimaru and Hitsugaya both. Rukia was also sure that when Ichigo passed away and joined the Seireitei for real, that he'd likely be promoted straight to Lieutenant or higher.

'That's true,' Kiyone said nodding her head, she'd likely heard those stories before herself. Rukia held her hand out, and without hesitation, Kiyone stood and brought the application over to Rukia. The Lieutenant was curious, she wanted to know exactly what Susuki had put on her application and smiled at the picture of the familiar Omega as she began to shift through the pages. Susuki had applied for the vacant 10th seat, but Rukia was sure they could recruit her higher. She already knew the name of her zanpakuto, she was working toward her shikai and she'd already nearly mastered flash step. Rukia glanced at the girls grads and raised her eyebrows. They were impressive, especially her grades in healing kido and defensive kido.

'She's actually got some impressive qualifications,' Rukia nodded.

'So what would be the next step?' Kiyone asked curiously. It was the Omega's first time being privy to a big recruit like this. Normally officers would be promoted 1 at a time, here and there, similarly to how Kiyone got her position.

'Ultimately, it will be Ukitake who will have the final say. But we will also have to do a physical test with them. They'll need to demonstrate speed, ability to lead and give direction, strength in battle and kido.'

'Like the examinations we used to do for Hollow exterminations in the world of the living?' Kiyone asked excitedly.

'Exactly like them,' Rukia smiled and Kiyone beamed at her.

'Our job isn't to decide, that's Captain Ukitake's job. All we must do, is clear out the inadequate forms on his behalf.'

'How should we do that?' Kiyone asked.

'Let's start with everyone who doesn't know their zanpaukto name. That's usually where I start.'

Kiyone nodded and the two girls sat back down. They worked through one pile at a time until they were left with significantly smaller stacks. They eliminated anyone with too low a score on their exams, and those who flunked their kido exams entirely. A seated officer at the very least should know the basics. Their zanpakuto spirit's name, some basic kido and hold enough knowledge of the Seireitei rules to be in a position of power.

By the end of the long working day, they were pleased with the applications that they had left for Ukitake to review, including Susuki's application. Kiyone offered to take them to Ukitake but Rukia denied her offer. She lived closer to his accommodation, so decided to take the paperwork herself.

'Have a goodnight, Rukia,' Kiyone yawned as the blonde haired Omega made her way out of the office. Rukia followed not long after, the satchel of heavy paperwork weighing down the right side of her body.

Her mind was focused on a warm bath, then curling up in her nest and getting a good night sleep, so hadn't anticipated that Captain Ukitake might not be alone.

'Come in,' her Captain's voice rasped when Rukia knocked. She pushed the door open to find her Captain sat in his specialised chair. He'd had it delivered directly from squad four, it was to help promote better posture to allow his lungs to open fully. The space was darkly lit, as if he'd been sitting alone in the dark and unwilling to turn a light on, likely having been distracted by something. A pot of tea sat on the handsome dark wooden table in front of him along with a book.

'Captain, sorry to disturb you, I have the seat applications ready for you to review.' Rukia assumed that the room was empty, and pushed her hair from her face in a messy side sweep as she reached down into the bag and pulled the paperwork out.

'I wish my Lieutenant would help with paperwork,' a cool voice spoke loudly from the wall that Rukia had just walked past. Rukia dropped the papers and turned in fright to stare at the frosty tenth division Captain. A hint of an amusement crossed his features, his brows lifting at her clumsiness. His face was illuminated by a violent beam of light that flittered in through a window at the back of the room, cutting his face in half. He was leaning against the wall, one foot planted firmly on the floor, the other bent against the wall behind him, arms folded across his chest. Without another word, he pushed off from the surface and strolled over to help her.

Rukia scrambled to collect herself. She had been caught completely by surprise. He'd been supressing his spiritual pressure in a show of impressive skill.

'Forgive me,' Rukia squeaked as she fell to her knee's in front of him and began pulling the papers back together. Captain Hitsugaya bent down beside her, his hands reaching out and collecting the papers within his reach. Rukia glanced sideways at him and noticed the way his mouth ticked at the corner when he spotted the little paperclips she'd used to keep the applications bound per seat they applied for.

Rukia reached out for the final stack at the same time he did, his hand grazed hers and Rukia froze. Captain Hitsugaya did too.

There was a beats silence as their skin remained connected, then Rukia retracted her hand. His skin had shocked her.

His flesh was the perfect temperature.

The harsh flash of heat was missing from their contact as she experienced with every other soul she'd ever came into contact with. His skin was the exact same temperature as her own.

Rukia could feel his eyes on her face, and she could feel heat climbing up her neck, spilling across her face and she prayed to god he couldn't see just how deep the blush felt in the dark.

'S-sorry,' she mumbled, feeling shy for once in her life. Captain Hitsugaya remained silent as he picked the final stack of documents up and handed them to her. Rukia took them without looking at him, stuffing them into a random section of the pile and hoping that Captain Ukitake would understand why they were out of order.

When Rukia stood up and made a great show of straightening her stack of papers. The silence and tension in the room seemed to have built and she _refused _to look at Captain Hitsugaya, even though she could feel his eyes boring into her, demanding her attention.

'Here you are, Sir,' Rukia said turning her attention to her Captain and noticing the way he was leaning forward on his chair, eyes twinkling, like their exchange had been something of great significance to observe.

'Thank you, Rukia,' Captain Ukitake chuckled taking the stack of papers from her fingers.

'I- I shall not disturb you any further, sorry for intruding,' Rukia bowed and turned to leave, still without looking at the other Captain.

'Oh, Rukia,' Captain Ukitake called and Rukia groaned under her breath, because now she was forced to turn back. Captain Ukitake was sitting in his chair still, a grin that reached his eyes sitting smugly on his face. 'Captain Hitsugaya came here for a reason.'

'Oh?' Rukia could feel her heart thrumming in her chest, her eyes glanced toward the other Captain. His gaze seemed collected and calm, as if he'd managed to muster great control. Rukia met his eyes, the teal was dark in the low lit room of Captain Ukitake's home. They looked almost black, dangerous, and with no hint of a smile on his pale features, it made him look far more intimidating.

'I was going to stop by the office and see you after visiting Captain Ukitake,' Hitsugaya said, 'I wanted to formally ask you on a date.'

'Oh,' Rukia felt like all the moisture had left her mouth. In the darkened light, it was hard to make out any of his expression. The Omega inside her didn't like it. 'S-sure.'

She knew it would come at some point. Ichigo had been on a date with her, Renji and even Yukio… so it was inevitable that Captain Hitsugaya would ask her next.

The man in question nodded his head, and Rukia took that as her cue to leave. She bowed low to the two Captains and swept from the room. Not wishing to appear weak and childish, Rukia resisted the urge to use flash step to carry her back to her home and gulped the cool night air as she tried to rid her body of a dark ominous feeling.

It had been the skin contact that had unsettled and shook her. She wasn't used to skin that felt the same as her own. It made her feel uneasy, and she had to wonder… how many more surprises was she going to experience on this date?

* * *

**Next chapter is going to be a long one guys but I have 3 fics I need to post before it this month so it's also going to be a while before I get to it sorry to say!**

**BUT don't be sad! Come hang out in our Bleach discord server and you'll find out why there's a delay! The link is on my bio!**

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**As always please leave me a comment I love reading them :D **

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	8. Date Four: Frozen Heavens

**This one took a while to get to you all, but I hope the length of it all makes up for the delay! :D June was a busy month of other projects, but going forward I will be a bit more consistent until it is completed.**

**A massive thank you as always to ****Xiyou-Chan, Ice Maiden Olivier & Xiumin Snape all for reviewing the last chapter! I dedicate this chapter to you all!**

* * *

Rukia was more nervous for this date than she had been for all the others combined.

It wasn't an irrational feeling, as she kept reminding herself. Ichigo had been her really close friend and she'd been a sort of mentor to him, so when it came to their relationship, she held the power. Renji was similar, they'd grown up together and Rukia had always outshone him in their youth. She knew Renji like the back of her hand so there was no reason to be intimidated by him. Yukio was easy, Rukia hadn't been expecting to even like the boy let alone get along with him. It helped to know that she was significantly more powerful than him too, so she felt safe and secure with that knowledge.

But unlike Ichigo, Renji and Yukio, Rukia was confident of one thing. Captains were intimidating by rank and Captain Hitsugaya even more so.

Rukia had tossed and turned through the night, the vast expanse of her nest providing little comfort against the image that plagued her half asleep brain. Captain Hitsugaya standing in the shadows, the light from the window cutting across his features and making him look even darker and less approachable than she'd ever seen him look before. Rukia knew that he was stronger than her and even in her own element.

They'd not grown up as friends.

So the anxiety didn't leave her.

Eventually Rukia gave up trying to sleep entirely and padded across the hardwood flooring and into the bathroom. Her eyes had delicate hues of soft purples appearing under them and her hair looked dishevelled but not in the sexy way Rangiku's would after she'd had a nap.

There was no logical reason for her fear and anxiety. Captain Hitsugaya wouldn't hurt her, but the nerves still coiled themselves in her stomach. She didn't know where he was taking her, he was basically a stranger to her and that set the Omega side of her recoiling in fear.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she started brushing her teeth before popping her suppressant and slipping into the shower to try and make herself look more awake than she felt. Rukia had picked her outfit out the night before and laid it across the spare bedroom chair. Since she had no idea where they were going she didn't know what to wear. If she had to guess, Rukia would say it would be something winter themed, given that the Captain had been paying particular attention to each of the other Omega's he'd taken out and what they liked. Rukia didn't own many winter clothing for the world of the living, what was the point when you never got cold? So she'd left herself out another dress, this one a deep rich plum purple and black leggings and boots that were lined with soft furs.

'Imagine not owning a jacket,' she huffed as she clutched the towel to her body and took one last look through her wardrobe. Japan rained, so she couldn't understand why she'd never bought even a rain jacket in the world of the living. Perhaps the fact that she was a pluviophile didn't help.

Giving up, Rukia changed into the clothing she'd preselected and tried to focus her mind enough to finish the last book she'd been reading. Captain Hitsugaya had given her no instructions other than to be ready for 9am in her gigai, which she'd managed to accomplish 2 hours early.

Her eyes darted to the silver clock on her wall, she was convinced it was ticking backwards and when the time finally drew close, she gave up reading and went to stand by the window. The wait was nerve wrecking and she tapped her foot against the wood and drummed her fingers against the ledge. At a couple of minutes to 9, Rukia saw the tuft of white hair turn the corner and quickly ducked away from her window, her heart thudding in her throat.

She waited and was about to walk over and pull the door open until her clock chimed 9am and there was a soft knock that echoed around the room. Rukia straightened up and opened the door to see Captain Hitsugaya wearing a white shirt and teal coloured tie, his eyes swept over her and Rukia felt the self-consciousness bubble just below the surface of her skin.

'Good morning,' he said giving her a slight bow, 'you look beautiful.'

'Oh, ah, thanks,' Rukia felt _shy, p_ossibly for the first time in her life in front of a potential suitor. She'd been on dates, even before this whole project but they'd never been her superiors. Most of the time, they'd been dates with Ichigo and she was as comfortable around him as two people could get. This was entirely new territory.

Rukia slipped out of her house and turned to close and lock her door, she could feel the Captains gaze still lingering and the heat it was causing under her cheeks. When she turned back around he offered her a small smile and she realised she hadn't complimented him yet.

'I like your tie,' was the next words to leave her mouth and she wanted to kick herself for them. Had Rukia thought about it a bit longer, she was sure she could have come up with something better than that. Captain Hitsugaya didn't seem to care though, instead his smirk stretched a little further, more playfully on the left side of his face as he glanced down at it and lifted it between his fingers.

'It was a gift from Matsumoto,' he chuckled.

The Captain took a polite step away from her so that they could walk side by side down the empty streets of the Seireitei. As it was Sunday most of the officers would be enjoying a long lie in the barracks, they met only one patrol guard who gave them a nod and went back to her patrols. They walked in silence and it did nothing to ease Rukia's frantic brain. She was used to Ichigo's soft and gentle teasing which was a contest she always won, she was used to Renji talking loud and obnoxiously, she was used too… anything but this.

'So, um, where-where are we going?' Rukia asked.

'To the world of the living,' he replied and Rukia could hear the amusement in his voice. He was purposefully being vague.

'I know that, given how we're dressed,' Rukia tried to keep the frustration from her voice but knew she was failing, 'I want to know if I dressed right or…' she trailed off. Rukia was eyeing the jacket in his arms.

'Don't worry about that,' the Captain shook his head, 'where we are going you'll be able to rent.'

'Rent?' she asked, blinking. Rukia had never been somewhere in the world of the living where she'd been able to rent clothing before.

'Yeah,' the amusement was back in his voice and Rukia scowled. She heard him chuckling beside her, the noise was a low and deep rumble, it reminded her of the sound thunderclouds made before a storm broke. 'You don't handle surprises well do you?' he asked.

'No,' Rukia glanced at him, she could see that side smirk of his again, plastered on his pale face.

'Isn't that a pity…' he muttered and Rukia's steps faltered for a second. The Captain jerked as if he were about to stop walking with her stumble but they both continued on as if nothing happened, Rukia processing his words.

He was cheeky.

How had she never noticed that before?

Was he sassing her the same way Ichigo usually did? Should she do it back or would that be disrespectful? At the end of the day he was still a Captain and only being forced to take her out, not by choice, but because it had been an order from his superior. Rukia debated with herself for a moment, but ultimately the long drawn-out silence of her thoughts left her no time to counter.

Once again they were left walking in silence and Rukia was pleased when the sight of the senkaimon appeared. The two guards stationed on either side of the giant gate greeted them with low bows and Captain Hitsugaya went to speak with them, while Rukia stood behind him feeling awkward. She couldn't hear what words were being exchanged but when he walked back to her, he held out his jacket.

'In case you need it,' he said and Rukia blinked at it, before looking back up into his eyes. They were amused, twinkling with curiosity down at her and Rukia raised an eyebrow.

'I have an ice type zanpakuto,' she reminded him.

'Oh I am well aware,' he replied, the twinkle still there and the corner of his lips curling once more, 'but for the human aesthetic.'

Rukia figured that meant that wherever they were going, was going to be cold. She plugged the jacket he held out to her in offering and put it across her own arm. Satisfied with this, he turned and nodded to the guard. The gates were opened, with the familiar tinkle, the two hell butterflies wings glinting against the sunlight of the Seireitei as they stepped through.

Rukia could already feel the temperature difference. Though she wasn't cold, the frozen air hit her like a gentle wave, crashing across her skin and the soft flakes already began landing in her hair before her eyes properly adjusted. They were stood out in the middle of nowhere, the landscape encased in snow. In the distance it was hard to tell land from sky as the vivid white stretched out in several directions, except to the distant West where a frozen forest lay.

Right in front of them, in view of the forest that must have been several miles off, was a log cabin. It looked picturesque against its backdrop. Thick smoke billowed from the tall chimney and was lost in the flurries of the frozen sky petals. Rukia could hardly contain her awe, as a lover of ice and all things winter, the setting was truly breath-taking.

'It's so pretty,' she gasped, 'where are we?'

'Finland,' his voice was radiant with amusement at her awe.

Rukia blinked and wondered if they were expected to spend the entire day out in the middle of nowhere in a log cabin? What would they talk about? What did he _expect _they were going to do?

He seemed to sense the questions as they flitted through her brain.

'See the dogs,' the Captain lifted his chin and Rukia followed his gaze, now spotting several bumps in the snow that she'd taken for logs were in fact living creatures.

'Oh,' she gasped as the lumps began to move and Rukia looked around, 'where is their owner?'

'He's inside,' Captain Hitsugaya said and took a few steps forward toward the cabin. Rukia followed him and quickly put the jacket on. Whether the jacket was newly washed or the snow was chasing away all traces of his scent, she couldn't detect a single note of him anywhere on the fabric. The Captain walked up the steps and knocked on the door, it only took a few seconds before the door was thrown up and a man that could only be described as Hagrid from Harry Potter stood on the threshold.

'There you are,' he boomed in English, 'punctual as always, eh Toshiro?' he laughed.

'Thank you, Eino,' he replied with a bow.

'Come in, come in, get your girlfriend out of the snow,' he laughed and stepped aside. Captain Hitsugaya barely came up to the man's chest and the man in question had to duck to get back inside the frame of his own door. Rukia was only mildly disappointed to find out that it wasn't, in fact, Hagrid.

She followed after Eino as Captain Hitsugaya held the door open for her and glanced around curiously at the homely space. Everything was made of simple, but clean, log wood. The seats had a wooden frame with soft looking hand stitched cushions and a giant fur rug dominated the floor under the table.

'So you two heading straight off then? Do I need to offer you a jacket or will you refuse one like you always do?' he shot the Captain a look that suggested he didn't fully agree with this.

'Heading straight out,' Captain Hitsugaya said with a nod and the man handed him a set of keys.

'I'll come and get the boys tomorrow as we discussed,' Eino said, 'Eevi is waiting for them.'

Rukia listened while they exchanged more words, aware she had no idea what was going on. It didn't aid with that uncomfortable feeling of unease in her stomach. The Captain looked relaxed, his body language open, shoulders down and a soft smile on his face that told Rukia he was very much at home with the giant man.

Once they were finished their quick discussion she followed the Captain back out into the flurries of snow and around the side of the log cabin where a small shed was located. The dogs in the snow began to stir awake, the snow falling from their coats as they stood up and shook themselves. Rukia was sure that they were going to start growling and snapping at them, for they were strangers but the dogs shot toward the white haired Captain and jumped up at him as if he were an old friend of theirs.

'Down Leo, down Odin,' he laughed and tried to fight his way through the furry kisses, as their dirty paws destroyed the white shirt he'd put on for the occasion.

'They're going to lick you to death,' Rukia laughed as one of the biggest dogs barrelled him over and he fell back in the snow, instantly covered by large fluffy huskys with wagging tails. The only reason Rukia wasn't stepping in to help was because she could hear him laughing.

'Here,' he called, sitting up long enough to toss something her way. Rukia saw the flash of metal in the air, her eyes trained in on the glinting surface as if it were an enemies blade and caught the keys as they flew toward her. 'Can you open the shed.'

The Captain was buried once more and Rukia turned her attention to the shed. She did as she was told as if it were an order, and had to kick back the snow blocking the door from opening before revealing a large wooden structure she'd only ever seen pictures of in museums.

'Oh,' she let her breath out in a gust of air, now she understood.

The sled looked sturdy, the top rail curved elegantly up and away from brush bow giving this sled an elongated feel and only when Rukia began to pull it from the shed did she think that it maybe was a bit longer than the one she'd seen in the museum.

Captain Hitsugaya was by her side again, the dogs whining behind him, their tails still wagging furiously as Rukia pulled the sled from the shed and closed the door.

'What do you think?' he asked and Rukia blinked down at the sled and then at the dogs.

'Honestly?' she asked.

'Of course, I wouldn't have asked otherwise,' he blinked at her.

'I think you're barking mad.'

There was a beats silence and then he laughed. He brought a hand up to rub at his temples as he chuckled, the sound the same slow deep rumbles she'd heard before.

'That was the worst pun,' the Captain muttered, 'worse than anything Matsumoto has ever said.'

He was shaking his head in mock disappointment but Rukia could see he had clearly liked the joke, Rukia was damn well proud of it. The pun had allowed her to cover some of the genuine fear she felt too. She wasn't sure where they were going to be going on this sled, if they were expected to bring it back here, or if he had a secret hidden picnic somewhere and was going to surprise her with more romance. She wasn't used to it.

'Come on,' he waved a hand at her and Rukia followed his instructions. He showed her how to harness each of the dogs, explained a bit about the different positions the dogs took and how to safely hook them up to the sled.

'Is there a reason why this sled looks longer?' Rukia finally asked and the Captain nodded.

'It's a training sled, so it's a bit longer so you can stand with me at the back,' he replied.

Rukia glanced toward the back of sled and felt her face heat up. There wasn't a lot of room at the back, the footboards only went so far out across runner, which mean they'd basically be up against each other.

'Oh,' the hesitation in her voice must have shown because he tore his attention away from the pure white wheel husky to glance at the sled.

'We don't have to, you could ride in the cargo bed if you wanted?' he indicated the deeper section of the sled which was obviously used to transporting goods.

'No thanks,' Rukia bristled at the thought of being put in a section that was for objects, she was far too proud to sat huddled in that sad little wooden frame and went to stand down beside the footboards. Captain Hitsugaya pursed his lips but didn't say anything, giving Odin one las pet before standing and making his way over toward her.

'Hands here,' he instructed exactly where on the handlebar she should hold. Rukia did as she was told, pressing her body as close to the sled as she could as Captain Hitsugaya got on behind her. Rukia was thankful she had put his jacket on, it allowed a bit of buffer between them and without it, they'd likely knock closer together, because as soon as the Captain shouted the command, Rukia felt her body jerk back. Hitsugaya steadied her with a hand on her side and Rukia clung on for dear life as the dogs began to pull the sled forward. It started slow but they soon had a rhythm going and they moved around the side of the house and out toward the vast expanse of snow in the direction of the woods she'd spotted in the distance earlier.

'Be safe,' the deep friendly voice of Eino called behind them. Rukia watched Captain Hitsugaya's hand come off the handlebar in front of her to wave, but she was too scared to let go and risk falling over in the snow. The lead dogs and the swing dogs had started to pick up more speed and Rukia thought that it probably helped with how light she and Captain Hitsugaya were in relation to Eino. The sled creaked and rocked under them and Rukia clung on, though it was mostly smooth, every now and again they'd hit a bump in the snow and she'd nearly lose balance. Captain Hitsugaya put his arms on either side of her body, boxing her in and Rukia could feel the front of his chest now pressed against her back through the jacket.

It took her a good ten minutes to get over the feeling of having him so close and to let go and enjoy the experience for what it was. Once she relaxed into it, Rukia found herself appreciating the sense of adventure, the vast snow spread out around them and the sight of the forest as it loomed ever and ever closer. The flurries of snow in the air cleared for fifteen minutes as they sped across the landscape, but then came back with vengeance. It blurred the vision and even though they knew the forest was close, it soon was soon hidden from view. The dogs seemed to know exactly where they were going and Rukia had no fear of being lost in a blizzard because she knew they'd be alright, it would just be the dogs she'd be worried about.

'We're almost there,' the Captain called behind her, over the rush of the wind and the whirl of snowflakes. Rukia had never felt so at home, as she did in that moment, surrounded by her element. She wasn't a 'purring' kind of Omega (or so she pretended) but she could feel Sode No Shirayuki practically purring at the back of her mind.

The lead dogs began to bark and Rukia squinted to see the forest now coming out of the white around them as the dogs followed an invisible trail into the trees. It was clear the leader must have been communicating with the team and with them to tell them they'd reached the woods. A smile grazed her face and she gazed around at the frozen trees in wonder. The snow had contorted them into interesting shapes, the dark pine needles almost lost completely under the feet of powder that encased them. The dogs had slowed, they were away from the open expanse of land and were navigating with precision, their tails held high and the occasional bark from their muzzles. Rounding a section of thick thicket coated by frosted dews the forest opened up, as if a silent path were beckoning them. The dogs picked their speed back up, now that the ground was more even and stable and Rukia gasped as two large trees up ahead, whose branches had crossed paths, created the most stunning frozen archway she'd ever seen. She twisted to watch it as the dogs led them under and nearly fell back into Captain Hitsugaya, whom she'd forgotten was there.

'S-sorry,' Rukia gasped and she heard the low rumble of his laughter behind her.

'We're almost there,' he replied and Rukia blinked in surprise. She thought that they were "there" and that this whole trip had been the surprise date she'd been expecting. To find out that there was more? The fear had left her and she now felt giddy with excitement, wondering what else he could possibly have up his sleeve.

The dogs slowed their pace once more to round another section of trees and Rukia could now see the wide path that they were following even though it was lost in snow. There was a sign buried by the power and she only saw the bottom half of the wood, barely hanging free from the snow piled on top of it and the bed of snow below. They were certainly heading somewhere. That much was true.

The journey continued for another ten minutes or so, Rukia found it challenging to measure the time, given that there was just so much gorgeous scenery to look at. Eventually through the cracks in the trees, Rukia caught glimpses of parked cars and buildings and the dogs pulled them free of the winter wonderland and into a small town. Captain Hitsugaya didn't need to give the dogs any direction, instead the dogs made their way toward a particular house that stood on slightly higher ground. A woman wrapped in furs was out on a porch and waved at them.

'That's Eevi, I'll be right back,' Hitsugaya hopped off the moment the dogs came to a halt and walked toward the woman. Rukia watched their exchange from afar for a while before glancing around the area. There were a number of tiny little shops and cafés, the jeeps parked around the area all had chains wrapped around their tyres and the locals were dressed accordingly for the weather. As her gaze wandered she followed the sight of the woodland that rose off to their left and up a hill, the centre of it cleared and tall metal poles carrying chairlifts up into the distance. Rukia could barely make out shapes and figures coming down the slopes against the soft flurries of snow.

Before she had a chance to dwell, Captain Hitsugaya had returned to her and Rukia finally stepped down off the sled.

'Eevi will take care of it,' he said and waved to the woman. Rukia copied him and then he was leading her in the direction of a bigger building at the base of the slopes. Feeling like she had the opportunity now to ask some questions, Rukia didn't hesitate.

'How did you find this place?' she asked.

'I've been coming here for years, since the tenth got authorisation to link directly with the world of the living.' She could hear the smile in his voice as he spoke, 'It was natural that if I were going to find anywhere to spend my days off it would be somewhere like this.'

'That's true,' she laughed and followed him up some wooden steps toward a large building. He held the door open for her and they walked in, stomping snow of their shoes on the mat.

The people around them were all talking in an unfamiliar language, and shooting Captain Hitsugaya looks of concern at his lack of clothing. Unperturbed, he led Rukia toward a desk that was for clothes hire and started chatting to the man in English.

Rukia was finally given her own jacket and begrudgingly returned the Captain's back to him. She'd come to enjoy being in the warm cocoon. Having selected a deep purple jacket to match her dress and a pair of snow trousers and boots, she followed the Captain through the building to another reception area. This time it wasn't obvious what they were here for.

'Check in for two please,' Captain Hitsugaya said the man behind the desk. He tapped away on his keyboard and after a few more words handed Hitsugaya a set of keys.

Curiosity piqued, Rukia gazed curiously at them when he returned to her.

'What are they for?' she asked.

'I needed us to have a safe space to open the senkaimon to get back tonight, so thought that I'd be best to book a room for us.' He shrugged innocently and Rukia did her best not to read too much into it. It was true that finding a private place out here with so much vivid white snow would be a challenge and they couldn't guarantee that people wandering into the woods wouldn't see them. They'd have to go quite deep into the woods to do it and if a hotel room made the journey more streamlined then who was she to complain?

'So… is that us done then?' she asked as she pocketed the keys. It felt weird given that they'd just hired jackets and boots to say farewell now, even though Rukia had a fantastic day so far she'd expected it to last a little longer than a couple of hours.

'No,' he scowled as if she'd just insulted him, 'I already cleared the full day absence with your Captain yesterday, we're not done yet, Kuchiki.'

'So that's what you were doing with Captain Ukitake?' Rukia asked, noticing the small smug smile that tugged at his lips when he'd mentioned it. 'You weren't just sitting in the dark and being creepy?'

It was much easier to joke about it now, given that the two of them were stood in a building lobby looking much more like puffy winter penguins in their outfits than soldiers. Captain Hitsugaya started and began to laugh.

'No, I came to ask his advice on the different ideas I had for today actually, given how well he knows you and how little I do. His insights were invaluable and I guess we just…' he shrugged his shoulders, or at least she thought he did, was hard to tell with the large puffy jacket, 'lost track of time.'

'Oh, right,' Rukia felt a little humbled and embarrassed that he'd even gone through the effort of trying to find out any information about her.

Rukia moved out the way of an older couple coming down the hall and Captain Hitsugaya led them back to where they'd rented their jackets. She felt awkward again, the dog sled had given her something to focus on but now she wasn't sure what to do with herself and was looking for her next distraction. It came the moment she saw where the Captain was leading her.

'Wait,' Rukia paused, her steps faltering. The desk was decorated with edgy spray painted artwork and behind it stood rows and rows of skis and snowboards. Captain Hitsugaya glanced back to her, this time a challenging eyebrow raised and Rukia blinked.

'What?' he asked.

'I thought, maybe we'd be going ice skating or something,' she frowned. The Captain rolled his eyes with a bemused expression.

'That's too easy and I already know you can do that,' he said and Rukia stared at him in shock.

'How do you know?'

'Because Captain Ukitake told me that Kurosaki one time took you out on a date that involved ice skating,' he replied as he leaned against the counter and waited for someone to spot him.

'It wasn't a "date" per say,' Rukia shrugged, 'Ichigo and I aren't like that.'

'Oh?' he asked, genuinely curious now and he studied her, 'this isn't the part where you tell me you two are just friends. I know Matsumoto said you'd been living in his closet for months.'

'My goodness,' Rukia could feel the heat climbing up her face as she scowled at him, 'I didn't realise that the great Captain Hitsuagya was such a gossip.'

'Paperwork can get very dull,' he teased back and Rukia rolled her eyes this time.

'What else have you been hearing?' she asked as she stepped up to the desk to wait beside him.

'I've heard that your date with Yukio went really well,' there was a hint of amusement in his voice now and Rukia turned to see his eyes twinkling. There was something young and playful in those deep pools and Rukia realised his eyes were lighter at the top right, getting darker toward the bottom left of his irises.

He was definitely cheeky. How did Rukia not notice this about him before?

Feeling her stomach flip uncomfortably as his lip tugged up at the side, into his little side smirk, Rukia did her best to play it off and act cool. She rolled her eyes, but that didn't stop the heat climbing up her neck and across her face.

'Yukio is a nice guy,' Rukia said.

'You know I kicked his ass?' he chuckled.

'I am well aware, he's terrified of ice now, which means we're not compatible, thanks for that,' Rukia sighed and leaned on her hand, watching as the woman behind the counter finished serving off a customer to their left.

'The way you talk about it, it sounded like you wouldn't have minded being matched to him?' the cheek was gone from Captain Hitsugaya's voice and the curiosity was back. Rukia refused to look at him again, those eyes of his were dangerous and she was sure she could get caught staring for hours.

'I wouldn't have minded, it would have been less awkward than the other two,' Rukia shrugged and the Captain didn't say anything for a while. When Rukia turned back to him he had a deep frown between his brow as if trying to understand some kind of complex kido spell.

'What can I get you?' the woman said cheerfully behind the counter. She had long blonde hair, pretty blue eyes and spoke with an Australian accent. She seemed to know right away that they needed English and at once Captain Hitsugaya's composure returned. He gave her a soft smile.

'A 150 please for me, and boot size 6.5, this one is new,' he jerked his head to Rukia and the blonde girl smiled at her.

'Go and stand on those scales for me,' she pointed out a set of scales and a height chart that were right beside the desk. Rukia blinked but did as she was told, aware that the Captain had leaned back as if hoping to see her weight. Rukia shot him a glare and he simply chuckled and leaned back over the desk again. Rukia stepped onto the scale and the girl took note of something on her screen, glanced at the height and nodded.

'What size of boot are you,' she indicated down to where Rukia's feet were and Rukia read the number she could see. At once the woman slipped away to retrieve their gear.

'As soon as this project was announced, I assumed that you and Kurosaki would end up together, or perhaps you and Abarai, given the history you have with them both,' Captain Hitsugaya said. Rukia watched the woman bringing boots toward them and placing them on the counter.

'It's a fair assumption,' Rukia said, 'I think a lot of people thought that, even my Nii-Sama.'

'But…' he prodded.

Rukia could feel her mouth ticking up at the sides. He really was invested. Rukia had to imagine that in all his time working with the Queen of gossip, maybe he couldn't stand being out of the loop with something. Either way, Rukia was finding the power incredibly delightful.

Rukia did nothing more than flash him a smirk and his features fell. She picked the giant boots up from the counter and walked over to the benches where she was to put them on. Captain Hitsugaya followed her lead, sitting down opposite her. She could feel his eyes on her as she attempted to look for the laces on her boots. There did appear to be strings but she couldn't figure out… where the ties were.

'How about this,' the Captain asked after a few moments of Rukia glaring at the boots, 'you answer a couple of questions of mine and I'll show you what to do today?'

Rukia hated that the little bit of power she'd held had slipped out of her grasp already. She glanced up to see that amused twinkle back in his eyes, his boots already secured to his feet.

'Fine,' she pouted.

Captain Hitsugaya stood up and walked over, kneeling down by her legs. He pointed out the locks (that didn't even look like locks) at the side of her boots that would allow her to pull the strings through. Rukia copied him on her other foot and waited for the first question.

'What is your relationship with Kurosaki then?' he asked.

'Ichigo and I are honestly just friends,' Rukia sighed, a little exasperated, 'I know people don't seem to believe that, but I don't know any other way I can say it to make people think it's true. Frankly I don't care what people say about us, because we both know.'

'That's fair,' the Captain said, holding the boot for her to shove her foot into. The boot was incredibly snug, almost uncomfortably so and Rukia winced as he began to lace it up for her. 'Did you ever have a heat around him?'

'T-that's an incredibly personal question,' Rukia squeaked, she hadn't been expecting the great Captain Hitsugaya, Captain Prude to ask such a thing.

'Sorry,' he flashed a grin up at her as he held her other boot up for her to put her foot in, 'Matsumoto usually just tells me all these things so I don't have to ask.'

'I'm surprised she didn't tell you everything, she must have been sticking by the Omega code,' Rukia gave an uncomfortable chuckle and Captain Hitsugaya stood up holding his hands out for her. She placed her fingers in his hands, her jaw tightening at the cool sensation that seemed to flow from his skin. She couldn't believe that his hands were the same temperature as her own, in fact, she'd even say his skin was a little cooler.

His eyes were on their joined hands and once she was up on her feet, he fleetingly rubbed his thumbs along her knuckled before letting her hands go. The movement was so brief but also so flirty that Rukia could feel heat rising in her cheeks.

'Can you walk in them?' the Captain asked glancing down at her feet. Rukia took a few experimental steps. They were not comfortable. They restricted her ankles so she could barely bend them and she felt like she had to take weird steps as a result.

'A little,' she frowned.

'So you're not going to answer my question?' Captain Hitsugaya prodded and Rukia blinked up at him in confusion.

'About the boots?' Rukia was sure she'd literally just answered him.

Captain Hitsugaya rolled his eyes as though Rukia was the cause of great suffering.

'About the heat.'

Rukia realised that she wasn't getting away with this anytime soon. She hadn't taken Captain Hitsugaya as a man to ask such a forward question, but there was something about this entire project that was forcing them all to cross different bridges. Perhaps her prudence best be put on a shelf.

'I will answer it, if you answer me a few personal questions too?' Rukia asked. Captain Hitsugaya narrowed his eyes.

'I thought the deal was that I show you what to do?' he asked.

'Well this is a date that you've brought me on,' Rukia turned the full force of her eyes on him, 'you'd not bring a small Omega out into the middle of nowhere in a country she doesn't know and not show her how to do the very thing you brought her here to do in the first place would you?'

Captain Hitsugaya glanced around, Rukia may have been speaking English but it was clear a few staff members knew the language. He spotted the blonde girl who had just put a smaller snowboard down on the counter beside the larger one, glance his way before turning back to chat to her colleague in their home tongue.

'Okay, okay,' he sighed, 'point made, I never would do that. What personal questions did you have in mind?'

Rukia thought about it, there was a lot she could ask, about Hinamori, his childhood, his presentation, how he'd gotten on during the various tasks and asks. Eventually she settled on something that Rangiku had said a while back.

'When Rangiku and I first started chatting as part of this project she mentioned something about the two of you finding yourselves in compromising positions before,' Rukia started and she could see his head turn to her as he picked up two helmets that had been placed on the counter. Rukia took the one he handed her and put it on her head, copying him as he lifted his board off the counter.

'Compromising positions?' he asked, after they gave the staff a quick nod of thanks and headed towards the doors.

'Yeah,' Rukia waited until they were outside and wouldn't be as easily overheard, 'she said that you were… well…. That you have…' she could feel her face heating up. Perhaps this hadn't been the best question.

'I have what?' the Captain pushed, his curiosity now getting the better of him.

'Well, let's just say she seemed to have insinuated that she'd seen you naked or close too,' Rukia finally settled and he faltered in his steps.

'Ah,' there seemed to be an embarrassed yet understanding tone in his voice.

'And I sort of figured there was a story there worth hearing,' Rukia finished and she heard him groan.

'Of all the…' Captain Hitsugaya sighed and led her towards a large metal pole where the chairlifts were swinging by one after the other, some picking up people and others going by without anyone on them.

Hitsugaya showed her how to get on. It was awkward and involved one boot having to be locked into the bindings of her snowboard. He didn't actually start answering the question until they were safely on their way up the mountain.

'Matsumoto and I have always been close. Once when she was trying to ignore her duties, she decided to drown me in sake. I'd never had it before, because I'd always seen what it did to her and others and didn't feel the need to ever try it. However, I'd had a bad day at work and she managed to… sell it to me and so I got incredibly drunk.' He ran a hand down his face and Rukia realised that she was enjoying just listening to him. The chair lift creaked up the mountain, making a horrible loud grinding noise when it got to the next pole and continued its ascent. They sat side by side, but she was turned toward him, the long unfastened section of snowboard resting on her opposite foot to stop her ankle getting tired or hurt.

'I think she just decided to keep torturing me, so she brought up the topic of conversation around… around girls…' he had trailed off and Rukia could see the heat climbing up from the collar of his jacket and out across his high cheekbones. 'She started talking about them in a way I rarely thought about, except…' he jerked his head, 'during ruts.'

Rukia could feel how uncomfortable this topic was for him to relive and she was genuinely surprised he was telling her this story. The topic was making Rukia a little uncomfortable too, but if she were expected to answer questions on her heats, she thought it only fitting he be prepared to share some personal information too.

'She started asking me things, making me think really deeply and when I- when I passed out on the couch of the office the thoughts just sort of continued…'

He cleared his throat, refusing to look at Rukia.

'Well, let's just say that our uniform isn't equipment to hide impure thoughts, I woke to the sound of her laughing and I've barely lived it down since.'

There was silence that followed these words. Rukia obviously knew what he meant, she wasn't such a prude that she didn't know that much.

'The way Rangiku told us, made it sound so much worse, I think it was because Lieutenant Hinamori was around and she wanted to hurt her.' Rukia had just mentioned the Lieutenants name and Captain Hitsugaya went still.

Rukia glanced at him and he let out a breath as the chairlift creaked through around metal beam that suspended it.

'Do you want to talk about it, Captain?' Rukia asked him but he shook his head.

'Two things,' he held up un-gloved fingers, 'number one, we're on a date, don't call me Captain, call me Toshiro.'

'I-I can't do that,' Rukia squeaked indignantly. It was incredibly rude.

'I've given you permission. We couldn't be any further away from work if we tried,' there was a beautiful side smirk appearing on his face again and Rukia did have to agree with that. She caught the sight of a single dimple flashing at her from the corner of his mouth. 'Number two, I think it's only fair that you answer my question since I answered a very personal one of yours.'

'That's- that's true,' Rukia felt the heat creeping up her face and sighed. She didn't even need to hear the question again, she'd been avoiding it for nearly an hour now. 'Ichigo and I are very close, but he's like family to me. Yes I lived in his cupboard, but my heat cycles were thrown for a loop mostly because of stress. I never once went into a proper heat, even when Ichigo started to make me feel comfortable and safe. He gave me things to nest with but we never…' she trailed off.

'I'm surprised you never went into heat for him,' Captain Hitsugaya said, 'from what I've been reading of Omega's that would have been the ideal time.'

'Yes well,' Rukia shuffled, she remembered what Rangiku had told them about her Captain. That he'd checked out books on how to look after a pregnant Omega mate and how to be a father, so it shouldn't have surprised her that he'd read about their cycles in some book or other. 'There's more to it than just what you read in a book.'

'Oh?' his voice was high, curious, as though he partly didn't believe that to be true and partly wished it to be so he could learn more. 'Care to elaborate?'

Rukia pursed her lips and thought, it was hard to explain. 'Just that, well, to a certain degree, it's also a choice…' Rukia furrowed her brows in contemplation, 'not like a switch, like we wake up one morning and decide to go into heat, but…'

Why was this so difficult to explain? Partly because she didn't yet feel comfortable around the Captain and partly as well because she was describing her mating cycles to him. He waiting patiently though and didn't rush her, even though she could practically _feel _his desire to know and understand.

'Even if Ichigo made me feel comfortable and protected and safe, if I didn't have a need to bare children and didn't want to mate with him, I would not go into a cycle. Likely because, those thoughts would be circling in my head, creating stress, which would stop my cycle, does that make sense?'

'Perfect sense,' Captain Hitsugaya nodded his head and Rukia finally glanced his way. His large teal eyes were boring into her, studying her as if she were the most interesting piece of literature he'd read in months. 'I can imagine it's also self-preservation, even if you were abducted and your capture gave you everything you needed, you would still not go into heat for him.'

'Exactly,' Rukia shrugged, 'Ichigo made me feel safe, but it was because I knew what I was doing was wrong and at some point Central 46 would come for me.'

'It's weird to think I didn't really know you back then,' the Captain said, Rukia looked at him and he was looking far off above the frozen trees, 'I remember everyone talking… saying you were going to be executed but you were just a low ranking officer I had never met. I'd feel different now.'

'Different?' Rukia asked, 'how so?'

'I'd fight for you,' he turned the full weight of his eyes on her and Rukia felt herself flush under his gaze. There was a lot more meaning to those words than just, he'd stand beside her and fight. It was as if he was saying he was fighting for her now. Her absurd thoughts were shattered when he pointed out that they nearly at the top.

Captain Hitsugaya briefly explained how to get off, but as this was Rukia's first time and she didn't know how to stop she fell. Thankfully it was over to the side and no one, except the cable operator was around to see her.

Conversation strayed away from the project as Toshiro began to explain the basics of snowboarding. How the heel edge and toe edge served to stop her and how to turn. Rukia found she picked it up faster when she used her own spiritual pressure to bend the snow to her whim under her board rather than relying on her feet to do all of the work.

'We can just go now, I've got the hang of it,' Rukia laughed an hour later.

'No you don't, you're cheating,' the Captain pouted at her and Rukia had to stifle a laugh. He looked so cute when he pouted, so much younger. 'Use your hips and feet, don't use your reiatsu.'

Rukia ignored him and went off down the slope without him, leaving him to run back to his snowboard, strap in and catch up.

'You're insufferable,' he called, which only made Rukia laugh harder.

She couldn't believe how perfect this date was.

Rukia could feel her element moving under her board, the powder feeling like she was riding on air, then her board scraping across the rougher more icy sections of snow. It was as if her snowboard was fingertips, running softly across the skin of the earth, feeling the bumps and callouses of the ground under fingertips. Rukia held her arms out and relished in the cold air that hit her skin, the sun slowly starting to sink in the vast skies before them. This was living.

It had been so long since Rukia had last felt alive, but she felt alive now.

'"For in death do we live, in suffering do we learn and in understanding we grow,"' Rukia quietly quoted an old Shinigami proverb.

'Don't go too fast!' Captain Hitsugaya's voice called, like an overly cautious father warning their only child of danger. Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was surrounded by ice and snow, there wasn't a single thing out here that could hurt her except him.

'I'm fine,' she called back, twisting her hips to dig her toe edge into the snow and slow her descent anyway. Captain Hitsugaya sped past her with a cheer and she turned her board back to the side again to gain speed.

'You cheating, sneaky-' Rukia laughed.

'Don't you dare talk to me about cheating, Kuchiki,' he chuckled and even though he were ahead, she could feel the rumble his amusement caused in the element below her board.

'What happened to Rukia and Toshiro?' she called back.

'Right now we're working,' he twisted back to her and raised a hand. At once a wall of soft powdered snow shot up from the ground and Rukia ran her board right through it. It blurred her vision and she was left clearing it from her eyes and face while he laughed and sped on down the hill.

Rukia got her own back by sending a small, and controlled, mini avalanche after him, which she froze around his board the moment it made contact. Rukia sped past him once more and laughed heartily as she did so.

'Keep up, Grandpa.'

Oh she'd had it now, Rukia could feel the building element of ice and snow under her own board, and she knew that her small lithe frame and shorter board would not carry her as quickly as he could. It didn't stop her from trying, keeping herself down low and as close to the snow as she could to reduce her drag, she urged the snow under her board to do her bidding.

Captain Hitsugaya was a Captain for a reason though, and soon she couldn't control the element as easily, the powder unable to abide the law of two masters and only when a wall of ice diverted her off course and toward the trees did she honestly start panicking.

'Captain!' Rukia called, hearing her own concern echoed back in her voice as she shot into the trees.

'Relax,' the very earth and air itself seemed to rumble with his power and voice, 'I won't let anything happen to you.'

His words did very little to settle the unease she felt in her stomach, but the snowy path he'd piled before her did indeed seem safe. Rukia felt better the moment he shot out of the trees in front of her, then turned his board to control his speed. Rukia copied him as he ground to a halt and she tried to break in time but ultimately ended up crashing into him.

Captain Hitsugaya had his arms open and ready for it, catching her and rumbling softly with his laughter, his reiatsu crackling around them. Rukia was shocked to feel the way that his reiatsu wrapped around hers, as if the two were tangible. The icy feeling coiled thickly in the air around them, pulling her closer against him. It was awkward because she wanted to push back, to a more respectable distance, but Captain Hitsugaya didn't seem to mind, and her feet bound into the snowboard made any kind of movement difficult.

The Captain seemed to be really enjoying himself and Rukia peeled back finally, once she could pry herself out of his arms and made the mistake of straightening her legs, only to catch her highback and fall on his backside.

'S-sorry,' she mumbled, feeling shy once again, her arms out behind her to catch her landing.

'You need to stop apologising,' he said, his laughter rumbling away, 'you're going to make me think you only came on this date because you felt forced too.'

Rukia blinked up at him.

That was exactly why she was here wasn't it? That's why both of them were here? The project, the ask of the Head Captain, central 46…

'Oh…' Captain Hitsugaya trailed off, the beautiful smile and winking dimples sliding from his face, 'you are.'

'N-n-' Rukia had been about to deny it, but there was no point. It was the truth. 'Well… I mean… I thought that's why were both here.'

She watched a smooth placid mask replace the bright happiness that he'd been emitting just moments before.

'You took Rangiku fine dining and you took Kiyone out surfing, I just thought I was next on the list?' Rukia pointed out.

'I don't like to think of any of the dates that way,' he said, folding his arms across his chest, 'I'm viewing them as opportunities to get to know amazing Omegas, that may become good friends or…'

'Or the mother of your child?' Rukia asked softly, hoping to lighten the mood. She didn't like this cross looking Hitsugaya, she wanted the soft laughing one back.

'Exactly,' he shrugged his shoulders.

'I'm sorry,' Rukia mumbled again, she hadn't meant to hurt his feelings or insult his pride.

'I'm beginning to dislike that word,' his shoulders slumped and he sighed, but held his hands out for her. Rukia slipped her hands into his, feeling the slightly cool fingers moving beneath her own as he helped her back up on her board.

'If it makes you feel any better,' Rukia said, feeling like she had to say something to make it better, 'this is the best date I've been on so far.'

Captain Hitsugaya smirked, tugging her arms a little more firmly so she was in his personal space once more. Rukia could feel the heat burning across her cheeks once again, they were so close. His breath was ghosting over her face, wintry and pure, his thick black eyelashes fanning across his cheeks which smiled with dimples once again.

'That's because I know your soul. It's just as soft and as wintry as mine,' as he spoke she felt his breath ghost along her cheeks, her lips and barely resisted the urge to inhale him. She felt a shiver run up and down her spine at his proximity, an Alpha in his prime, single and ready to mate, a powerful Alpha, one who could protect her and her young and-

Where on _Earth _were her thoughts going? Rukia pulled back, feeling the heat rise on her cheeks again, only to catch the smug look on the Alpha's face. Captain Hitsugaya let her go, his knees leaning back so that he started to descend down the hill backwards. Rukia could feel her heart thrumming in her ears, pounding in her skull.

He'd started to board away from her and Rukia took a few moments to ground herself. Hitsugaya dug his toe edge back into the snow and stopped once more, further away this time.

'Are you coming?' he asked softly.

'Yes,' Rukia replied automatically.

Without looking back he turned on his board and made his way down through the trees. Rukia scrambled ungracefully in the powder to get her board moving again. She was once more struck with the beauty of the Finnish landscape. The trees were bowed with the weight of their snow, and yet were solitary in their sculptures that it looked like time itself couldn't touch them.

Captain Hitsugaya led them down a less steep slope, turning his board at intervals to check his speed. Rukia copied him, using her reiatsu when she needed the extra hand. They duck and dove and wove in and out of the frosty trees, as the sunset gleamed orange light began to filter through the trees toward them.

Rukia pushed a lot of thoughts from her head as they continued their descent, only when she saw the opening of the trees at the bottom did she wonder… what now?

Captain Hitsugaya's board ground to a halt as he twisted to the right, digging his heel edge in. Rukia copied him and reached down to undo her bindings.

'Did you have fun?' he asked, zipping down the large collar of his jacket so he could move his neck more freely.

'Yeah, loads,' Rukia nodded her head and picked up her snowboard. The two of them deposited them at a railing for return boards before he was leading her away. The sun was now starting to set and Rukia realised she was ravenous, she'd not eaten any breakfast that morning and it must have been around dinner time. Captain Hitsugaya had one final surprise up his sleeve. As they rounded the corner of the village, Rukia gasped.

The forest that looked like it stretched around the village actually gave way to a large clearing. In the clearing were a number of glass domed huts, the roads cleared and only a couple of centimetres of snow forming the pathway that took them directly toward the buildings.

Captain Hitsugaya walked on, and Rukia quickened her pace so as to not be left behind. They walked past the rows and rows of glass igloos and Rukia was impressed to see that up close they were even larger than she'd expected. No one could see inside because the whole bottom half of the glass were drawn over by curtains that left only the tops of them exposed.

Desperate to see inside one, Rukia was practically breathing down Captain Hitsugaya's neck as he dug the key out of his pocket and inserted it into the door of one of the larger igloos. He gave a soft chuckle and held the door open for her. Rukia burst inside the entrance way, forgetting to take her boots off in her eagerness to witness such a space.

The glass did indeed encompass everything except the bathroom. Thick black curtains hung around the lower parts of the glass, a few meters high so no one outside could see in, but the entire ceiling was completely exposed to the darkening skies above. From the entrance where they'd walked in, they passed the bathroom which was its own room to the side, and the wall that opened up supported the headboard for a large bed that dominated the space. The king sized bed was lined with fake animal furs, a theme that followed the rest of their room, as the wooden tables seemed to feature the same looking furs on top. There were two chairs that sat beside a table, where a large metal cloche sat, and a bottle of red wine.

'Wow,' Rukia breathed, wondering just how much money he'd spent on this date.

Captain Hitsugaya chuckled behind her and Rukia turned around to see him taking his jacket and boots off, hanging them up beside the door.

'We don't have to stay here, but this is a safe space to open the senkaimon at least, after we get some food,' he nodded to the cloche. Rukia was now town between going over and seeing the food that he'd ordered or being polite and taking her outdoor wear off. At the end of the day she was a Kuchiki and so she pulled her jacket and boots off, leaving them beside the Captains as he passed by her and walked over to where the food sat.

As soon as she was appropriately dressed down, Rukia made her way back inside the igloo, the Captain having taken a seat beside the table and lifted the lid off the various dishes.

'Eat as much as you want, it's all been paid for,' he said casually and Rukia glanced around at all the dishes she'd never seen before. Rukia started loading her plate with a little of everything. Captain Hitsugaya kept up a string of commentary on the all the food she was eating, rice pies, Finnish meatballs, cured salmon and rye bread, and Rukia ate until she couldn't fit another bite in.

'Good?' he asked with amusement and Rukia realised she'd embarrassingly eaten much more than he had.

'Yeah, I was really hungry,' she said sheepishly.

'You don't need to make excuses, an Omega should have a healthy appetite,' the Captain replied.

'Is that just another way of saying we're fat?' Rukia frowned as he took a sip of wine. He raised an eyebrow at her.

'No, I'd never call a woman like yourself anything other than beautiful,' the Captain replied smoothly. Rukia felt the heat flooding her face again and looked away from him. She could feel his eyes on her and wished he wouldn't stare.

'I had no idea the great Captain Hitsugaya was such a flirt,' she mumbled shyly.

'I have my moments,' he chuckled, 'and it's "Toshiro," remember.'

'I feel like you spent so much money on this date,' Rukia finally voiced the thing that had been bothering her.

He swirled the liquid around in his glass in a sophisticated and contemplative manor. The look served to age him by a further decade if it weren't for the cheeky dimple that winked at her as he smiled.

'I saved the best for last. I knew we'd have a lot in common and a lot of what we did today are things I will do in my spare time. I've got a lot of money saved as a Captain, since I've not had anyone to spend it on I'd built up a long list of hobbies and things I enjoy but no one to enjoy them with. I figured this would be my chance. Out of all the girls in the room, if I had to pick one to court, you'd have been my first choice in a heartbeat.'

'C-Captain,' Rukia squeaked, feeling incredibly shy and embarrassed once again. She could feel the heat under the skin of her cheeks but she stared at him with her mouth slightly open.

'It's true,' he shrugged his shoulders, though there was a bit of heat high on his cheekbones too. Perhaps the alcohol they'd been drinking was making them bolder. 'And for the final time, it's "Toshiro."'

'Why would you pick me?' Rukia asked, ignoring his continued request to call him by his first name.

'We're incredibly compatible,' Captain Hitsuagay said simply, 'you're shorter than I for one, which is a rare find for me,' he flashed her another of his signature smiles, 'and we don't have _history, _and we both love ice and all things winter.'

'T-that's true,' Rukia murmured, she had no reason to feel this shy and yet she was. She was still a little intimidated by him, despite everything they'd done together that day.

'I sense that there's a dark cloud hanging over us though, something you want to ask?' he stated simply.

'How did you know?' Rukia felt her jaw slack, was she that easy to read?

'The subtle shift in your reiatsu, I can feel it the same way I can sometimes smell your emotions, but your reiatsu is easier for me to read.'

'Oh, well, I don't want to bring it up, but Hinamori…' Rukia started.

'Ah yes, the topic to end all potential relationships,' Captain Hitsugaya drained his glass of wine and poured him and Rukia a final glass with the remains of the bottle. Rukia took hers and sipped while he gulped.

'I am under no delusion that Matsumoto would have told you most of what you need to know, but I suppose I should admit that I have now officially filed a complaint,' he started, 'Hinamori may be my cousin, but she will not stop me from becoming a father. It is something I have wanted for quite some time now.'

'Really?' Rukia asked, her head jerking up and her eyes wide.

Something shifted in her at these words.

If the term; 'ovaries exploding' were true, she'd certainly felt a shift in her body. There was something incredibly attractive in a man who wanted to be a father, especially a strong, powerful and attractive male like Captain Hitsugaya.

'That surprises you?' he asked.

'I guess not. Rangiku did mention it, but it's one thing hearing it from her and…' Rukia could feel the effects of the alcohol now and put her glass down unfinished.

'Is something wrong? Did I say something upsetting?' he asked, voice full of concern.

'N-no, it's just stupid,' Rukia groaned into her hands. This was pathetic, she had no self-control at all. She could physically feel her body responding to him.

'I work with Matsumoto, nothing can be more stupid than half the things she's done,' he stated and Rukia chuckled into her hands.

Rukia didn't respond for several moments, she could feel her body heating up and had to wonder if she was going into heat? Then she remembered the side effects of alcohol and put it down to that. Whatever was going on, it wasn't normally part of her cycle.

Eventually she heard the noise of wood scraping against wood and peaked out from between her fingers to see Captain Hitsugaya dragging his chair over beside hers.

'Rukia,' he said her name and she felt a deep stir in her abdomen, 'talk to me, or at least look at me.'

Rukia did as she was told, turning to meet his deep teal eyes, the most beautiful eyes she'd ever seen in her life. They were full of concern, wisdom and uncertainty as he studied her face.

'You said you wanted to be a father,' Rukia said simply as if this was enough to make him understand. His brows only furrowed deeper, a look of confusion etching on his beautiful pointed face.

'Did I say the wrong thing?' he asked.

'N-no, gods, Captain,' she huffed, 'y-you can't just say that kind of thing around a fertile Omega.'

His jaw tightened at once, his eyes sweeping over her face and from deep in his chest Rukia could hear a rumbling. It was deep and guttural, an Alpha growl. Rukia whined instantly, the Omega in her responding to the power in his vocals. The noises he made weren't threatening, in fact they were the opposite, they were enticing. They showed his power, his health, his dominance, his willingness and his possessiveness and Rukia swallowed thickly, cutting off the resounding whine in her throat.

Captain Hitsugaya stood up and ran a hand down his face as if to check and clear himself. The rumble in his chest died and he sighed.

'I'm going to go for a shower before we open the senkaimon,' he said, 'I think we both need to get out of here before we do anything we might otherwise regret.'

Rukia nodded eagerly, there was no point in letting their hormones takeover for one night and then living to regret the decision that was made entirely with other parts of their body. The Captain looked at her once more before turning and marching toward the shower. As soon as the bathroom door was closed and locked, Rukia felt herself relax.

She stood up from the chair and walked over toward the bed, flopping down onto the covers.

It had been a long, eventful day and next to the emotional rollercoaster her body was now tossing her way, Rukia was beyond exhausted. With her belly full and feeling incredibly warm with alcohol Rukia closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts.

She found herself in the beautiful place of not minding who she was paired with. If it were Ichigo, they'd make it work, if it were Renji, she'd help him hide his secret, if it were Yukio, they'd have fun and if it were Captain Hitsugaya, then she was sure they'd be compatible at least.

Rukia stirred eventually and realised that she'd fallen asleep. She groaned and stretched out on the bed, her hands slipping out from under the furry blanket that had been placed over her. It took her a few moments to realise what had woken her and when she blinked her eyes open, she could see a strange green glow dancing across the bed. It reflected oddly off the brown furs, but glinted beautifully from the glass of the walls opposite. Rukia turned and glanced about, then sat up with a shocked cry.

'Oh,' she gasped.

The very heavens themselves, were dancing with a vivid green light that was moving peacefully across the skies outside. Rukia felt her mouth fall open. Never in her life, had Rukia seen anything so beautiful, never had she seen anything that made her feel so small before.

'Captain,' she called without thinking, tearing her eyes away from the sky to look around the bed for him.

Captain Hitsugaya wasn't sleeping on the bed though. He'd dozed off on one of the chairs, clearly unwilling to share a bed without her consent. Rukia's expression softened at his face. In sleep he looked much younger, the frown lines morphed into smooth alabaster skin that looked more like marble as it glinted in the green lights of the heavens above.

'Captain Hitsugaya,' Rukia called softly, amusement in her voice. She could see the way his head was awkwardly slumped and he didn't look at all comfortable, 'Captain!'

'I am not moving,' he mumbled, his eyes unopened, 'until you call me "Toshiro."'

Rukia giggled, she felt dazed and euphoric, perhaps it was the wine, or perhaps it was the magic in the beautiful lights that illuminated the skies outside, 'Toshiro, come to bed.'

She'd purred his name and his eyes opened instantly. Rukia could practically _see _the hormones in his gaze as he stumbled his way toward the bed, but he was too exhausted to act on them. He collapsed down beside her and Rukia curled up beside him at once, breathing in his scent. The suppressants and blockers were starting to wear off, but it was still too early to detect proper notes from his scent other than his emotions. He just smelled drowsy and horny.

'Look at the sky,' Rukia murmured, nuzzling against his chest as he twisted to glance up.

'The northern lights,' he said, 'they're beautiful…'

It was clear that he was drifting back off to sleep.

'But not as beautiful as you.'

It was the last words Rukia heard as he drifted back to sleep. She felt giddy and hormonal and everything felt… everything felt right. Like little pieces were fitting together and she wanted to curl up and lie with him in their winter wonderland for as long as time would permit.

Rukia tried to stay awake for as long as she could, drinking in the sight of the stunning skies above and how the lights moved across his sleeping and peaceful face. She wanted to smell every note of his scent as his suppressants fully wore off, wanted to know if he had the scent that she'd reacted so harshly too.

But somewhere between trying to stay awake too long and being too exhausted to fully contemplate everything that had happened that day, Rukia slipped into a deep sleep.

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**Love the idea of a Snowboarding HitsuRuki story? Make sure you check out 'Going for Gold' the fan fiction where fellow author Geishaaa and I write the same story from two PoV; Rukia a figure skater from Ireland and Toshiro a snowboarder from Australia as they head off to the Winter Olympics. Fic can be found on my profile and correlating piece over on Geishaaa's **

**Next chapter, final pairs will be revealed, so let me know your final guesses in the reviews below! Also does anyone have any preferences for baby genders? If so I have made a poll! **

**FF Net hates links tho, so simply type in tinyurl dot com forward slash TOPGenders**

**Also we have a Bleach Podcast you can find us by searching 'The Seireitei' on any podcasting apps.**

**And links to join our Bleach fan fiction writing and podcasting discord can be found on my profile, along with a link to my trello where you can see what I am working on and what I have completed. **


	9. Final Task

**So guys... this chapter has a NSFW version over on Ao3. It can be found under the same name (and under same author name too!) So if you LOVE SMUT and were a bit disappointed with the rating for this... then head over to Ao3 to read instead. **

**However if it's not your thing and you're happy to have a censored version, then stay here to read :D **

**As always a HUGE thank you to ****Olenchan, uchihaNaruto247, Harbinger Of Kaos, Ice Maiden Olivier, Erdrick the great and Xiyou-Chan for your reviews! They mean the world to me!**

**And an extra, extra big thank you to Dreaming Haven for leaving me a couple of paragraphs in your review to read! I adore long reviews! They make my heart soar! **

**Hopefully this chapter does the same for you all... **

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The first thing that Rukia became aware of was the prickling and burning sensation in the back of her throat. Rukia twisted in her warmth and tried to get away from the feeling. It was bothersome and uncomfortable. It was the feeling she associated with being deeply dehydrated. The covers felt heavy against her skin and slowly, she began to open her eyes. Sunlight was streaming in through the glass panels of the ceiling above and Rukia blinked up at it, dazed and confused, then she remembered where she'd fallen asleep.

Only in that moment did she register the scent that was scorching the back of her throat. It was clean, pure, forest pine and smelled of the fresh air outside, so pungent and familiar. Rukia gasped, remembering the reaction she'd had to it the last time she'd smelled it.

Beside her Toshiro stirred. He'd managed to roll over at some point during the night, and was no longer lying on his stomach, but on his back, head turned toward her, mouth slightly parted. As Rukia studied his face, his nostrils were flaring and she knew that her suppressants had worn off too. She had to get a drink of water, before she drowned in his scent and sat up, hugging the cover around her shoulders that he'd placed over her the evening before. Rukia slipped off the bed gently trying not to jostle the Captain and made her way into the bathroom. Thankfully he wasn't in a rut this time, so his scent wasn't causing her to go into heat, but Rukia would be lying if she said that she didn't find it unbelievably enticing and mouth-watering.

It was stupid not to bring suppressants with her. She'd expected the date to last a long time but hadn't expected to spend the night with him. Rukia closed the door to the bathroom and breathed in the normal scent of tiles and slightly damp moisture in the air. It helped restore a sense of normality to her scorching throat. She picked up one of the glasses and stuck it under the tap, taking a drink and letting the water roll around the back of her throat before swallowing. It helped a little, but ultimately she knew that the burning sensation could only be starved off entirely with either suppressants or… with mating.

Rukia shook herself and took another deep breath of the bathroom air. Her reflection was dishevelled and she was thankful to see that she still looked okay, given the helmet hair and bed hair combination she'd expected. Rukia tugged her fingers through her ebony strands where they stuck out and picked up one of the hotel toothbrushes and began to clean her teeth.

This served to make her feel more human and less like the hormonal Omega she knew was clawing just underneath the remnants of her self-control. When Rukia opened the bathroom door and stepped outside it was to the sound of growling, and she bumped into something hard before two strong arms reached around her and pulled her against the mass.

Rukia made an indignant noise. Captain Hitsugaya's growl was rumbling low in his chest and it was making her knees week. The sound was similar to the noise he'd emitted last night. It was strong, showing off everything that made him an Alpha and she felt caught entirely in his claws.

'Ca-Captain,' Rukia squeaked, taking in a lungful of air that was purged of all regular scents and dominated entirely by the thick and hormonal scent of the Alpha whose arms she was now caught.

'Call me, "Toshiro,"' his voice was throaty, low, and as he spoke he nuzzle his nose down into the nook between her neck and shoulder where her scent patch was covering the worse of her scent. Rukia didn't know what to do, she felt trapped, but not entirely unhappy about it. The Omega side of her wanted to whine, wanted to _display _herself for him in so many lewd ways that she should have been embarrassed but she could barely focus on standing up straight let alone anything else.

Toshiro exhaled a gust over her neck. His breath tickled the hairs at the back of her neck and across the sensitive flesh of her collarbones.

'Take them off,' his voice was deep, the rumble a tentative command and Rukia knew that he wasn't talking about her clothes. He was talking about something arguably much more personal.

'We-we shouldn't,' Rukia gasped with her crumbling self-control.

'Please,' he begged breathlessly and Rukia whined at the Alpha commanding tone he'd used. With shaking hands she let the cover around her shoulders drop as she reached up and pulled the scent patches from her neck. The final barrier that stopped him from smelling every aspect of her. Rukia realised that he must have taken his off before falling asleep, because she could see the bare glands glistening on his neck. It was probably why the entire igloo was thick with the scent of him, as if his body were trying to claim everything in it, including her.

Toshiro ducked down and inhaled greedily. Rukia could do nothing more than clutch to him, neck exposed and vulnerable as she did her best to hide her flush in his chest. Next thing Rukia felt were two strong arms hoisting her up into his and she gasped as his teeth lay claim to the sensitive flesh of her neck scent glands.

His teeth scraped along her skin, then soothed over it with his tongue, the two working in conjunction to pull more of Rukia's scent out into the room. Rukia whined, feeling the slick already gathering between her legs.

In a few moments, if they didn't stop, they'd become slaves to their own hormones and Rukia was entirely torn because she didn't know what she wanted.

Did she want him?

Yes. Oh dear God, yes.

But would one morning of passion be worth the potential repercussions that it brought about? Toshiro seemed to think so, he laid her out on the bed and pulled back. His teal eyes were blown wide, the jade almost entirely lost to the black as he stared down at her.

'Tell me to stop and I will,' he rasped, his voice horse and as calloused as his hands, 'but if you want me to impregnate you right here and now I will.'

_Oh. _

Those words played with Rukia's emotions, twisting the Omega side of her and causing an internal struggle but her body couldn't help melt uselessly against the bed. He was giving Rukia a choice, but her hormones were entirely gone, entirely lost and she had never wanted anything so much in her life than to be mated with such a _strong _Alpha.

'Now,' Toshiro managed to grit out between his clenched teeth, 'you have to tell me _now _or I won't be able to stop.'

Rukia could feel her legs shaking, could feel the heat rolling up and down her spine, could feel the slide between her legs, the tightening of the coil in her stomach. She wasn't in her nest and that bothered her, freaked her out, but his scent was encasing the entire space that it were as if he'd made his own nest entirely out of it for her.

Unable to do anything but give into her hormones, Rukia felt the chord of her self-control snap. She bared her neck and it was the only invitation that the Captain needed. Toshiro swooped down on her, his teeth grazing the spot on her neck, he captured the sensitive skin and sucked it up into his mouth in a claiming bite that had Rukia going limp with pleasure.

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**CENSORED... READ FULL VERSION ON AO3**

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'Shower time,' Toshiro chuckled, his voice low and deep and Rukia simply nuzzled against his neck and allowed herself to be carried through to the bathroom. The whole room had been decked out like a wet space, with a drain in the middle of the floor and a large headed shower on the wall. Toshiro put Rukia down on her shaky legs for just a few seconds to turn the nozzles on and hit them both with warm water.

Rukia whined when the water started to turn too hot and he quickly lowered the temperature with a low throaty laughter.

'I thought Omega's liked the warmth?' Toshiro asked.

Rukia couldn't think of a quick enough response to his tease so she merely glared up at him. The water did interesting things to the spikes in his hair, making them droop and flow by his ears and down towards his neck and shoulders. He ran a hand through his hair to push the wet droplets from his face and smirked at her. Rukia spotted that one adorable little dimple again and then realisation seemed to catch up with her. She spared a few moments to think of the future baby she was going to have with that little dimple when she realised what they'd done.

'Oh,' Rukia groaned, 'fuck we did.'

She brought a wet hand up and pushed her own hair back from her face. Toshiro shielded the worst of the flow from her with his back as he turned toward her. He brought his hand up and cupped the side of her face and Rukia leaned into his touch.

'Whatever happens now, we're in it together,' Toshiro murmured softly.

Rukia clenched her jaws because how could he be?

They might announce a different pairing at the final test… and then what? Would he go off and get another Omega pregnant?

Rukia was stuck with her decision, but he didn't have to be.

'I can hear you thinking,' he muttered, and then a pair of soft cold lips were pressing against her forehead. Rukia sighed and leaned into the touch.

'What if we don't get paired up?' she asked.

'I don't care, I've marked my claim,' he growled against her skin.

Rukia felt a thrill run up and down her at these words. Nanao would have a field day if she knew how typically "Alpha Male" Captain Hitsugaya was and just how much Rukia actually enjoyed it.

'What will we do?' Rukia asked.

'We should start by finding out for sure, then we go straight to your brother first, he should be the first to know.'

'Even before Head Captain and his project?' Rukia asked with a soft chuckle.

'Yes, before all of them. Only Captain Kotetsu and maybe Lieutenant Kotetsu will know before anyone else. Then your brother, then the rest we can tackle as you see fit.'

'My Captain,' Rukia said with a firm nod, 'he should be one of the first to know too.'

'Mmm,' Toshiro hummed and his voice sounded amused, Rukia twisted to glance up at him and indeed saw the ghost of a smile on his face.

'What?' she asked.

'He was just…' Toshiro shrugged, 'a fan.'

'Of us?' Rukia asked with what she could see in the mirror opposite, was a dumbfounded look on her face. Toshiro chuckled, like she was the most adorable thing he'd ever seen and took her face in his hands.

'Yes,' he said putting his forehead against hers, 'he's been trying to get me to date you for years.'

'W-what!' Rukia yanked her head back from his hands so violently that she almost slipped and fell. Thankfully Toshiro's reflexes were undeniable and he had her back in his arms and out of harm's way in no time.

'Please be careful,' he breathed and she felt his chin rest on her head, 'you might be carrying something fragile.'

Rukia felt her abdomen squirm at the reminder, 'N-not that quickly.'

He made a non-comprehensible noise, but pulled back all the same to glance down at her.

'When did Captain Ukitake want you to go out with me?' Rukia asked the burning question, 'and why is this the first time I am hearing about it.'

'He first brought it up to me about five years ago-'

'FIVE!?'

'- but I never acted on it because I didn't want to bring you into the whole ordeal with Hinamori.'

Oh… Hinamori…

Rukia felt her stomach contort this time and did her best to try and relax. She now had so many questions… too many questions.

'What will we do about her? Why did my Captain want you to date me? Why did he never tell me about this?'

Toshiro chuckled and wrapped his arms even more tightly around her.

'All bridges to cross when we come to them,' he said, his voice sounding unbelievably euphoric, 'for just now let me enjoy the moment please.'

Rukia let him enjoy it.

For about thirty seconds.

'How do we keep this a secret from Rangiku?'

* * *

The shower passed in a blur, even though Rukia was sure it was one of the longest showers of her life. The thing about ice wielders is that the cold water would never run out. Toshiro had taken his time, lathering her up with soap and getting to know every mole and freckle on her body. It had been oddly embarrassing at first but she'd quickly gotten over it… though she did demand some privacy to clean her more private areas without an audience.

Even though Toshiro was entirely amused with this and had no shame in washing every single inch of his skin in front of her, he'd granted her the privacy she wanted and fetched the two of them towels.

With yesterday's clothes back on, Rukia felt like she'd just taken a shower and been made to wear the same rags that she'd lived in when she'd been in the Rukongai.

'It's just until we get home,' Toshiro assured her, half the buttons missing from his shirt which also still have several pawmarks on it from the dogs.

Rukia felt her stomach flip again… they'd have to open the senkaimon late… and surely someone would notice that. When she voiced this to Toshiro though he just waved her off, informing her that he had a man on the inside that had been ready to cover for them.

'Who?' Rukia asked, as his blade cut through the air and twisted to reveal the great shoji doors.

'Our biggest fan of course,' Toshiro chuckled and stepped forward into the blinding light. Rukia scrambled after him and as her gaze adjusted into the dazzling light of the Seireitei, she realised that Captain Ukitake was standing in front of them, with the largest smile she'd ever seen, etched on his face.

* * *

Toshiro had wanted to walk Rukia back to her living quarters, but as it was early day time and given the state that the two of them arrived in, Captain Ukitake pointed out that this wouldn't be the wisest decision.

Reluctantly Toshiro had agreed to meet her later, once he was dressed in a clean uniform and looking more presentable. Captain Ukitake escorted her back through the streets of the Seireitei. They made haste, but not so much so that any guards out on patrol would look too closely at them and notice the state of Rukia's rumpled dress. The entire way back, her Captain walked with a bounce in his step, his whole being radiating a smugness that made Rukia much more embarrassed and shy than anything she'd done that morning with Toshiro.

It couldn't get any worse…

Captain Ukitake wasn't one to press and probe, but Rukia could tell he was burning with questions. After years of working alongside her Captain, she knew the subtle shifts his body language and posture and the way his head kept turning to keep her in her peripheral vision, told Rukia that he longed to learn.

Rukia was thankful for his silent display of self-control. She was in no position to deal with the events of the last 24 hours, she wanted to put on a clean uniform and return to a sense of normality before anything else crazy happened.

Seemingly unable to help himself, Captain Ukitake finally spoke. 'I have been encouraging young Captain Hitsugaya to ask you out for a number of years now.'

Rukia could hear the pleasure in his voice and it made her flush. 'He mentioned that, Sir, but-' She'd been about to question her Captain before she bit her tongue. Still he seemed as keen as she was to continue the conversation now that the silence had been broken.

'You're both similar in age, you're both single, both wield ice type zanpakuto, and an Alpha and an Omega,' Captain Ukitake stated answering her unspoken question, 'why wouldn't I – what's the word? _Ship It.' _

Rukia groaned and heard his deep rumbling laughter that was so commonly associated with Alpha's.

'How bad is the bite?' Rukia knew she had one on her neck, and she knew her Captain had already clocked it. He was an astute man, and she didn't need to give any details… it was very clear what Rukia and Toshiro had done with their time.

'It should be covered just fine with a scent patch.' Captain Ukitake said, 'if I'd have known what he had planned for you this morning I'd have brought some when I came to pick you up. Your bite needs concealing and he was simply oozing smug Alpha with a mate.'

'Oh god,' Rukia groaned, 'how are we going to hide this from the Head Captain and Rangiku and everyone else?'

Her Captain was silent for a moment, thoughtful, before he responded.

'The Head Captain has a lot on his plate with his own pregnant mate. I don't think you'll have to worry about that. I can help you cover the rest until you have a conversation with your brother,' he stated and Rukia felt herself relax with relief.

'Thank you, Captain.'

They'd reached the living quarters for the Captain and Lieutenant and Rukia gave him a low bow and a promise to be in the office as soon as possible before she ducked inside to get ready.

For good measure, Rukia had another shower, took her suppressants, applied scent supressing cream in droves and covered her glands with patches.

Perhaps being overly cautious, she covered the ones on her wrists too. She didn't want anyone to scent the giddy, love struck or glowing feeling she felt at the idea of being claimed and marked. It wasn't worth it… now all she had to do was try and avoid the other Omega's at all cost.

Rukia slipped into a fresh uniform, feeling relaxed and in control the moment she did. She'd just started tying Sode no Shirayuki around her waist when there was a knock on her front door. The feeling of control slipped and morphed into fear… surely… surely that wasn't Rangiku or someone else here to interrogate her over her date?

Rukia swallowed, but straightened, making her way toward the window where she could peer out and see who it was before answering. Glancing through the privacy curtains, her jaw dropped.

Captain Hitsugaya was standing on her front step, his face practically _glowing. _He had something white clutched in his hands and Rukia ducked away from the window and tried to calm her emotions. She'd been prepared to fight off the Omega's who would likely pull out all the secrets of her date, she'd not mentally prepared herself for having to beat a smug Alpha into place to stop him raising suspicion.

'_Maybe if you don't answer the door, he'll go away?_' Sode No Shirayuki was _enjoying _this. Her amused drawl tinkled at the back of Rukia's mind and Rukia hissed at her zanpakuto spirit. Still… it wasn't a half bad idea.

Rukia waited a good five minutes or so, certainly longer than she'd have stood on someone's door step then returned to the window.

She felt her body stiffen with foreboding.

Captain Hitsugaya was sitting on her door step.

'Fuck sake,' Rukia grumbled.

She didn't have the mental capacity to deal with a clingy Alpha right now. Stomping over toward the door, she wrenched it open and the Captain, who had been leaning against it, almost tumbled inside. Two large teal eyes beamed up at her, the smile curling on his dimpled face winking once more in the beautiful early morning sunlight.

'I brought breakfast,' he said.

And just like that, Rukia deflated, any rebuttal she'd had lost. Perhaps it was the Omega side rising once more, melting uselessly at the thought of her Alpha providing for her?

Rukia shook the thought from her mind. Captain Hitsugaya wasn't _her _Alpha, any more than she was _his _Omega.

'Come in, quickly,' Rukia hissed, glancing up and down the street to see if any patrol officers were lurking around. Thankfully no one was nearby and Captain Hitsugaya stood and slipped inside. Rukia closed the door and took a deep breath to try and help calm her wild emotions.

'I wasn't sure what you liked, so I made eggs and rice but I can get something else if you don't like them?' he was curious and as Rukia turned to look at him, his eyes were flying across her living space. Rukia realised that this was the first time that he'd ever stepped foot in her home.

'You didn't have to do that,' Rukia sighed, but her stomach disagreed.

Toshiro smiled and held the package wrapped in white cloth up. Rukia took it from his hands and walked into her kitchen to pull some plates and chopsticks out. Her mouth watered the moment she opened the box of tamagoyaki and just barely resisted stealing a piece as she set it on plates for them to eat. The small box of rice was separated between the two and Toshiro frowned over the two bowls.

'You should have more,' he said and Rukia sighed.

'Captain,' the warning in her voice caught Toshiro's attention and the use of his title made his beautiful face fall, dimple vanishing. 'If you keep doing this,' Rukia waved at the table, 'looking after me and making comments like that. People will put two and two together faster than a zanpakuto can slice bread.'

'Right…' he muttered, his chopsticks lowering back down into his bowl. Rukia felt her mouth falling open in shock, he looked like a kicked puppy and it made the Omega part of her twist uncomfortably.

'I appreciate it,' she felt like she had to try and salvage the situation, 'I really do, I just don't want people figuring this out. Not until I've had the time to digest it, not until I've had the time to speak to the people who matter about it.'

Her words seemed to perk him up, his lashes fluttering and his eyes rising to look at her. Rukia tried to imagine what this must be like for him, but it was hard. She wasn't a man, and she wasn't an Alpha, they were as far away from each other as they could possibly get.

'I'm just worried you're going to think you're in this alone,' Toshiro's voice was low, the Alpha growl present around the edges of it.

'Well, I sort of am?' Rukia frowned and watched the way his eyes flashed at her, 'look at the end of the day… I'm going to be the one who's going to get bigger, I'm going to be the one who will show all the symptoms, have to give birth… you could just leave.'

'Not me,' Toshiro frowned, 'and you have to understand, everything you just said is my worst fear. I wish I could do more than what I've done. I wish my part in all this was bigger. There's nothing stopping you from cutting me off…'

His voice trailed off and Rukia looked at him, he stared resolutely back at her, breakfast forgotten on the table.

'I wouldn't do that to you,' Rukia frowned, 'I'd never do that. It's not in my nature to be so cruel.'

Toshiro seemed to relax. It was a testament to how little they actually knew about each other. One date was not enough to build trust and rather than bringing the train gently into the station, with a chance to enjoy the scenery… they'd brought it in like a runaway, demolishing half the station in the process. They now had to deal with the repercussions of their actions, while getting to know each other and navigating new territory for the two of them.

'Together,' Rukia nodded, 'we're in this together… I just need you to be a bit more… inconspicuous.'

Toshiro brightened at these words, the little dimple on his left cheek flashing once more, 'I'll do my best.'

'Your best better be good enough, Mr Prodigy,' Rukia teased pointing at him with her chopsticks before she finished off the last of her tamagoyaki. Captain Hitsugaya's growling laughter filled the space once more. She was pleased to see him finish his eggs and rice.

'Now, you're best to evaporate out the back, if someone sees you leaving my house, goodness knows what rumours will spread,' Rukia joked and he laughed.

'Like osmosis? I can do that,' he picked up his zanpakuto where it was leaning against the kitchen bunker and Rukia walked him toward the back door. 'This is really hard for me.'

'Leaving through the back door?' Rukia asked with her brow quirked.

'Leaving,' he shrugged, 'especially knowing that you've done everything in your power to eliminate me from your person.'

'You know why,' Rukia sighed. He was obviously referring to his scent that she'd scrubbed off her skin and the bite she'd hidden behind a patch.

'I know,' Toshiro nodded and ran a hand down his face, 'I'll get over it.'

'It must be hard being an Alpha,' Rukia rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

'When will I-'

At the exact same time their soul pagers went off. His eyes went round with worry but they had their devices out in their hands within seconds, both relaxing. It was merely instructions for the final stage of the project.

'We've to be present at squad 12 this evening?' he asked with a frown, reading it out.

'Goodness knows,' Rukia sighed, 'one problem at a time please, I need to go and help Captain Ukitake with the seated officer applications.'

Toshiro pocketed his pager and nodded. They stood facing each other awkwardly in the door for a moment before he gave her a tentative smile and leaned forward to brush his lips against her forehead. Rukia felt it tingle down her spine and curl her toes, closing her eyes she leaned into him.

Then he was gone, and all that was left behind was a cool draft of air that flittered across her skin and into her home. Rukia smirked, almost proudly. If she was pregnant, then she knew that it was going to be one of the most powerful ice spirits that the Seireitei had ever seen.

* * *

Captain Ukitake had appreciated Rukia turning up to the office to help. His nod of approval and the fact that Kiyone asked Rukia zero questions about her date with Captain Hitsugaya beyond the usual, 'how did it go?' made Rukia sure that no one bar Captain Ukitake, Captain Hitsugaya and her knew of their little rendezvous.

Kiyone and Rukia worked diligently, as Kiyone's final days in the squad drew to a close, between the three of them they managed to secure several seated officers from the applications. Fourth Seat Kotsubaki had taken them out to do fighting drills and Captain Ukitake had tested all their spiritual pressure individually as well as their perception to danger while Rukia had been out on her date.

She felt like she'd missed so much, but also understood that she and Kiyone had weeded out the less fun aspects of the paperwork, so all in all, it was a team effort.

When it came time for the final stage of the project, Rukia and Kiyone made their way toward the twelfth together. It seemed that Rukia wasn't entirely out of firing range of the date, simply that the 3rd seat had been waiting for Captain Ukitake to be out of earshot.

'Some people are saying you didn't come home last night,' Kiyone said at once.

'Oh,' Rukia tried to fight against the blush that she could feel bubbling just under her skin, 'well we fell asleep, we came straight back home this morning. It was a long date.'

She could feel the other Omega's eyes boring into her from the side, but she kept her head held high and her gaze forward.

'And nothing happened?' Kiyone asked sceptically.

'I promise you, we didn't even kiss,' Rukia said confidently.

It was true, and the way she said it made Kiyone believe her, 'wow, talk about self-restraint. I'm pretty sure I'd have tried to mate with him and I'm not even that interested in him.'

'Yeah… well…' Rukia shrugged because she didn't know what else to say and was thankful the moment the building of squad twelve came into view. It was the same large building that they'd done the scent test in and Rukia tried to relax at its familiarity. Outside the doors, a couple of the other souls were gathered and as they walked closer Rukia recognised the vivid red hair of Rangiku and the glinting glasses of Nanao.

Rukia braced herself, preparing to have Rangiku grill her about the date, but as soon as the taller Omega made eye contact with her, she ducked inside the building. Rukia felt her entire being deflate and a bubble of worry rise like bile in her throat.

'That was odd,' Kiyone stated.

Rukia felt awful.

Did Rangiku have feelings for her Captain? Was she angry with Rukia for spending all night with him? Did she _know _what they'd done? Had Captain Hitsugaya told her?

'Hey Nanao,' Kiyone chirped cheerfully when they finally got to the entrance. Rukia couldn't do anything more than offer the woman a soft smile.

'Good morning,' Nanao said, her brows furrowed and she gazed into the door where Rangiku had just disappeared.

'What's wrong with Ran?' Kiyone asked.

'I'm not sure,' though the Omega's eyes slid toward Rukia and Rukia felt her shoulders slump.

'Is she mad at me?' Rukia asked worriedly.

'No, not mad,' Nanao shook her head, 'she was just… I don't know how to explain it. On edge? Perhaps?'

'Why?' Kiyone asked.

'I'm unsure myself, she's not told me anything and I just tried to get it out of her,' Nanao frowned and Rukia felt her throat constricting with worry.

'How close are Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya?' Rukia took extra care to refer to the Captain as his title, so as to not give anything away.

'Ran and her Captain?' Nanao asked with a raised eyebrow, 'pretty close. She was the one who encouraged him to become a soul reaper in the first place. Why?'

'She's not… you don't think… of my date?' Rukia spluttered her half coherent thoughts.

'No, I seriously doubt it. I'd be very surprised if it was that,' Nanao said with a shake of her head, 'I think I'd have known by now if she had feelings for her Captain.'

They were all silent for a while before an officer came to collect them and the Omega's moved further into the entrance.

'How are you feeling anyway Nanao?' Kiyone asked, the excitement evident in her voice. Nanao's hard and calculating expression softened.

'Tired and sick,' she nodded her head, 'but that's all common side effects so I'm okay. I just wish that Shunsui would back off a little, he's unbearable.'

'How so?' Rukia asked, aiming for curious and hitting her mark.

'He's just fussing, trying to scent me as I leave the house, trying to feed me extra portions of everything, honestly I've nearly had to cut him a few times to just him to leave me alone.'

Rukia thought back to a documentary that she'd watched with Ichigo and the twins in the world of the living, a large male lion coming over to one of his females the female ruthlessly beating him up and chasing him off despite their size difference. She could honestly see that being how Nanao and the Head Captain would often interact.

'I've heard Alpha's get pretty overbearing with an Omega once they're pregnant,' Kiyone quipped.

'Really? I've only heard the stories where Alpha's have left their Omega partners,' Rukia frowned.

'I think those historic stories are more in relation to once the baby arrives and generally it's been because the Alpha and Omega didn't have a bond to begin with,' Nanao shrugged.

'Unlike you and the Head Captain,' Kiyone giggled. Nanao didn't respond but simply smiled ruefully.

'There you all are,' the familiar voice of Captain Kotetsu washed over them and Rukia felt her body ease at the sight of the woman.

Nanao was simply here as a spectator, and it bothered Rukia how many spectators there were this time. Not only was a whole load of squad twelve present including their creepy Captain, but also Urahara, Yoruichi, Isshin Shiba, Byakuya Kuchiki, and the Head Captain.

'Nii-Sama?' Rukia asked, blinking in surprise.

'Rukia,' his eyes softened at once and Rukia recognised the hard lines as though he'd been demanding answers off of one of the poor squad members who took his chance to scurry off. Byakuya walked toward Rukia and led her off away from everyone, 'I heard you didn't come home last night? Are you okay?'

'Oh,' Rukia felt heat rising in her cheeks, 'c-can we talk about it later?' her eyes flickered over to Urahara who was staring at her from across the room, creepy smile etched onto his face. Byakuya followed her gaze and her brother's glare was enough to have Urahara turning away.

'Of course,' Byakuya nodded, 'tomorrow morning come to mine for tea and breakfast?' he offered.

'Yes, Nii-Sama, thank you,' Rukia gave her brother a low bow and when she straightened it was to see his eyes glancing over her face anxiously.

Rukia was about to further console her brother when her name was called and she walked over to have her brief. Apparently they were to all be put into a chamber that would stimulate their spiritual pressure (or power, in Yukio's case) and then have their powers analysed together for compatibility. Rukia glanced down the row of Omega's and tried to meet Rangiku's eye. The woman was standing on the other side of Momo, her eyes trained in on the soldier briefing them and nodding her head like she was trying to pretend to pay attention.

Rukia sighed, she'd have to wait a while before she got to the bottom of that particular issue. Through the glass that looked onto the two chambers, they saw the first Alpha being led through. Ichigo stood in the ring of the first pod and then someone was calling on Kiyone. The blonde Omega gave her fellows a big smile and followed her sister through into the chamber. Rukia watched through the glass as the chambers sealed around the two souls and then… nothing.

Rukia could see their facial expressions, Ichigo looked bored and Kiyone looked a little awkward, but in the room beside them computers were beeping and one large computer was printing off sheets and sheets of data. Squad members were chatting to each other, but their talk was so full of jargon it was incomprehensible to Rukia.

Then Kiyone was being led out and the next Omega called for, this time Rangiku stepped into the room. The same thing happened again and Rukia looked over at the souls who were trying to analyse the results. This time one of them was in deep conversation with Head Captain and Urahara, they both nodded their heads but their expressions gave nothing away. When Rukia glanced back, it was to see Ichigo looking at Rangiku but the blonde girl refused to look back at him.

She was acting so strange, not at all like herself and Rukia felt her heart sink. Had she done something to really upset the other Omega?

Then Rangiku was out and Momo was being called in. The same events took place and Rukia had to wonder what all the fuss was about. When her time came, she did as she'd seen the other Omega's do. The room she entered was exactly the same one they'd used for their scent test. The glass couldn't be seen through from this angle and it installed that same feeling of unease. Rukia stepped onto the platform and the glass closed around her. At once there was a whirring noise and Rukia felt her spiritual pressure being sucked, as if a vacuum had been turned on. She could feel it being pulled up and then being sucked down into Ichigo's chamber and his into hers. Their reiatsu curled around each other, familiar and greeting one another as if they were old friends. The feeling was almost nostalgic and Rukia grinned at Ichigo through the glass.

The substitute did little more than offer her a solemn smile that seemed to slide easily off his lips. Rukia blinked, he looked sad at their reiatsu's exchange. Rukia tried to feel, she cast her mind out into her spiritual pressure to sense what he was picking up and she could feel it… there was a nook… something off in their exchange. She frowned up, as if she'd be able to see what was wrong but just as she started trying to analyse it, they were cut off from each other.

As Ichigo had been in the chamber with each Omega, he was now led away and Rukia watched as Yukio was brought in. He seemed reluctant at first but then grinned widely and waved at her when he locked eyes. Rukia, who hadn't forgotten their date but was still a little put out by Ichigo's reactions, only smiled in return.

Yukio stood in the glass chamber next to hers making animated shooting motions with his hands toward the glass of the spectators and that made Rukia laugh. There was a sound of grinding and the pods closed around them, then the machines were whirring again. Rukia could feel Yukio's power, but as it wasn't spiritual pressure, it was hard for her reiatsu to know what to do with it. The blond slipped a hand into his jacket and extracted his small gaming console. He pressed a couple of buttons and then Rukia felt like his power began moulding with hers more easily, it felt familiar, fun and reminded her of the games they'd played in the arcade together. In a way it felt like his power was mocking hers, teasing hers for being so different and Rukia laughed and grinned up into the air then met his eyes, he offered her a wink in return. She knew beyond the glass that the machines would be beeping like crazy, and once the chambers opened, Yukio was led off.

Rukia waited patiently now, as Renji was instructed into the room. Her tall red haired friend grinned at her and Rukia smiled back. He hopped up onto the empty circle and the glass encased him. Rukia was curious to see how this exchange would go, given everything that had happened between them since the date.

Unlike the scent test, this test went much smoother. Renji's reiatsu felt more comfortable with her and much more like when they were children. Rukia grinned at him through the glass and he grinned back. She was happy to see that it looked like he'd had a few nights proper sleep and a decent meal. His face was looking less gaunt and the purple bruises which she'd spotted under his eyes were gone.

Renji was removed from the machine and Rukia felt her heart lurch into her throat when Captain Hitsugaya was guided into the room. Without meeting his eyes, Rukia turned her head to face the front of the room. She hoped that the exchange wouldn't have come off as rude or strange, after all… Rukia was friendly with Renji and Ichigo, so it only natural they garner different reactions from her. That didn't explain her reaction with Yukio though. Crap. She tried not to over think it.

Rukia could feel the Captain's gaze on her as the glass doors were sealed and Rukia begged Sode No Shirayuki to behave herself. The moment the machine started whirring, Rukia realised it had been puerile to expect Captain Hitsugaya to be able to control his spiritual pressure and Rukia could do nothing more than drop her face into her hands in shame as his reiatsu came into the chamber to suffocate her.

It was overwhelming and _screaming _ownership. Rukia tore her hands away from her face to glare at him through the glass and he gave a guilty and sheepish smile back. It was clear he was only half-heartedly trying to pull his pressure back, but was making a shit show of the task.

Rukia tried to remind herself that everyone else watching (bar the people at the machines) would be relying on their reactions. As she'd done when she'd watched, so Rukia did her best to act bored, while his reiatsu continued to coil around her in a possessive prowl. It was two seconds before the chambers opened that Rukia's self-control broke and her reiatsu seemed to _present_ itself, much like she'd done that very morning for the Captain. Her spiritual pressure felt like it gave way, leaning back and letting his do whatever it wanted to hers. Rukia didn't need to look at the face of the Captain in the chamber beside her to know how smug he must have looked, she could _feel _it.

Rukia prayed to every god in existence that the moment was too fleeting for the machines to pick it up and as soon as her chamber opened, Rukia fled the scene with as much haste and grace as she could muster.

Refusing to look back at him, she let Momo walk on by. The other Omega practically skipped into the chamber and hopped onto the platform. Rukia only glanced back to see what was happening, Momo was trying to talk to Toshiro before the glass closed on them, but his eyes were on Rukia and her retreating form. Not wanting her gaze to be too obvious for anyone else, Rukia turned and kept her eyes forward, walking back into the chamber and into the interrogation that followed.

'Why did you put your head in your hands?' Kiyone asked and Rukia could see Rangiku turn in their direction, but she gave Kiyone a quick shake of her head.

If the notion of her and Captain Hitsugaya ending up together was a pain point for Rangiku, the last thing Rukia wanted to do was seem like she was rubbing it into the other Omega's face.

Relenting, Kiyone and Rukia watched as Momo seemed to be struggling inside her chamber while Captain Hitsugaya looked annoyed. Once the chambers opened, Momo looked upset and tried to speak to Captain Hitsugaya who blatantly ignored her. Momo had to be pulled from the room by two guards and Rukia tossed her a glance as the crying girl was sat down on a chair to calm down. It gave Rukia a deep feeling of satisfaction to see her Alpha outright reject the girl.

Rukia choked when she realised she'd just thought of him as her Alpha. Toshiro offered Kiyone a soft smile as the Omega was led out, they conversed for a moment before the chambers were shut. Apparently the Momo and Toshiro situation seemed to be a cause of great hilarity from the spectators in the room. Rukia watched them, Head Captain had his lips pursed and waved Nanao over to look at something. As soon as Nanao was within range, his arm was around her waist protectively and he pointed something out to her which made the woman frown. Yoruichi was laughing beside Urahara and both were explaining something to Isshin who looked genuinely concerned.

It took a while for the chambers to seal around Toshiro and Kiyone and the two of them simply shared a smile with each other. Rukia felt something stab in her chest but she absolutely beat it down, she had nothing to fear from this interaction. Instead her eyes slid to Rangiku and it looked like the other Omega had been glancing sideways at her. There wasn't much point trying to converse in this room, with so many bodies in it they were bound to be overheard, but Rukia tried to offer the Omega a smile. Rangiku hadn't noticed though, stepping forward the moment the door opened and Kiyone was brought back through.

Rangiku escaped Rukia by slipping into the room when the guard held the door open. She made her way toward her Captain and he practically beamed at her. They exchanged a few words and Rukia tried to look for some kind of awkwardness between them, but there was none.

The two even smiled at each other when the glass chambers were shut and Rukia wondered if their reiatsu was reacting in a familiar way, the same way that Ichigo and hers had reacted? Suddenly she remembered that Rangiku and Captain Hitsugaya had been working together for decades… much longer than she'd known Ichigo and likely theirs would be even more familiar…

A bitter feeling of jealously coiled inside her and Rukia had to grind her teeth and remind the Omega part of her brain that there was a strong chance that _she _was potentially pregnant with his child. That seemed to calm the raging part of her down, but only for a few moments. With Captain Hitsugaya having been paired with each Omega, it was his turn to be led away and Renji was brought into the room. The remaining couples continued to swap places in a similar fashion until each Alpha and Omega had been paired. The only interesting interaction was when Kiyone and Yukio found themselves in the chambers beside each other. Rukia couldn't help but grin, seeing the two side by side. He was about the same size as her, maybe half an inch taller, it was hard to tell. They both had vivid blonde hair and chatted happily with sheepish smiles and blushes until their chambers were closed.

Nanao had come to stand beside Rukia once again as they watched the interaction. Rukia was beginning to wonder if Nanao was drawn to Rukia's side for a specific reason… but the thought slipped the moment Yukio punched some buttons on his gaming device and Kiyone burst out laughing.

'Aww!'

'Awww.'

Both Nanao and Rukia had cooed at the exact same time as Yukio beamed at Kiyone and the other Omega gave him an embarrassed shake of her head, smile still intact on her features.

Theirs was the last exchange to take place and as Kiyone came back through into the room, Nanao and Rukia descended on her. They barely had any time to ask her questions though, before they were being called to attention by Captain Kotetsu.

The Alpha's were brought through from the other room to stand opposite the Omega's for the debrief.

'The results will be given tomorrow morning at ten am, please be present at the Head Captain's office for the results,' she gave them all a tired smile and Rukia felt a twinge. She was clearly being worked into the ground for this whole event, but the way she bundled Kiyone into her arms in a tight hug made Rukia realise that the older woman was just as excited as if she were one of the participants herself.

Rukia felt shaky with apprehension at the thought of the results the next morning.

Once dismissed, she turned to try and speak with Rangiku but the other woman was gone, dragging her Captain off with her. Toshiro looked like he was going to fight back but Momo was calling out to him and his faltering steps settled into a rhythm with his Lieutenants. Rukia felt her heart sink, both at Rangiku's reaction and the fact that Captain Hitsugaya had left with her.

Whatever was going on… Rukia was sure that these results tomorrow would break some relationships apart.

* * *

**Okay... so I know I promised this chapter would reveal final pairings... it's going to be early next chapter instead, because this chapter ended up being over 10k when I only wanted it to be about 7k. That was with THAT scene included... whooops. **

**Anyway if you enjoy please leave me a comment, either here or on Ao3! You don't need an account on either platform to leave a comment / review!**

**Also does anyone have any preferences for baby genders? If so I have made a poll!**

**FF Net hates links tho, so simply type in tinyurl dot com forward slash TOPGenders**

**Also we have a Bleach Podcast you can find us by searching 'The Seireitei' on any podcasting apps.**

**And links to join our Bleach fan fiction writing and podcasting discord can be found on my profile, along with a link to my trello where you can see what I am working on and what I have completed.**


	10. The Results

**Massive thanks to everyone who took the time to leave me a review at the end of last chapter! :D**

**Dreaming Haven - Yeah Rukia is a very stoic Kuchiki noblewoman isn't she? Don't worry... over the course of the next few chapters, you will see her emotions begin to show a little more ;) Also I LOVE your take on why Rangiku was acting strange... this chapter will prove you right or wrong my friend ;) This chapter doesn't have Momo finding out... *quite* that much but she finds out a little about their... relations this chapter... but I will add in the rest later just for you :D **

**Xiyou-Chan - I love your incoherent keyboard smash reactions, they always make me laugh! LOL Just for you Xiyou I will promise that the last chapter isn't the only *mating* chapter in this fic ;D The results are coming... so lets see if they're the results you wanted! **

**UchihaNaruto247 - LOL I am sorry you sped read to get to results that weren't in the last chapter... but... SURPRISE they're in this one :D I hope you enjoy it! I am glad you're considering Rukia and Tosh to be a great pairing, I am trying to bring people over to my *dark side* MUHAHAHAHAHAHA **

**Guest - Ohhhh... maybe ;) **

**Harbinger Of Kaos - You never know, the results might NOT be Rukia and Toshiro... think of the drama? hahahaha this chapter will give you, your answer ;D**

**Ice Maiden Olivier - I am so glad you're enjoying it and loving the relationship between Rukia and Toshiro :D **

**Thanks to ALL of you for taking the time to comment / review! I really appreciate it! **

* * *

The slowly roasted jasmine leaves burned at the back of Rukia's throat. Her brother transferred them into the pot and allowed their flavour to seep out into the water, rolling his sleeves back away from his hands as he did so. There was absolute silence in the room.

It was a painful contrast to her night. Rukia had spent most of the evening tossing and turning, not being able to get comfortable in her nest and though she knew the reason, she didn't want to admit it to herself.

Now she sat on the tatami mat, her hands pressing into the tops of her thighs to try and stop the trembling. Byakuya replaced the lid on the percaline pot and lifted to pour the honey coloured water into her cup before pouring his own. Rukia's head turned to the open door when she heard the distant sound of a bird. The garden was beautiful, the green lush from the dew of early morning and the sound of the river bubbled.

'The shrike's have been enjoying the sakura trees this year,' her brother commented casually. When Rukia turned back, she could see his steely grey eyes assessing her.

She reached out and picked her cup up, taking a sip of the warm tea and letting the flavour rest on her tongue and calm her nerves.

'How did your date go?' Byakuya finally asked. Rukia knew this was part of the reason she was here. He needed to know what was going on so he could make arrangements for the noble family.

Rukia took a deep breath, and started at the beginning. She talked about the moment Captain Hitsugaya came to pick her up, how they'd flirted, where they'd gone. She told him about the sled dogs, the beauty of the Finnish landscape, how she'd bested him at snowboarding, the igloos and of course, the aurora.

'It was a long day,' he stated simply, 'I understand why you were exhausted, especially as you said, you hadn't slept well the evening before.'

Rukia could hear no note of accusation in her brother's voice. It was full of understanding, even fondness and Rukia glanced up into his eyes. Eyes that once had never been able to look at her, for how much she reminded him of his dead wife.

There was nothing but love and compassion in those eyes now.

'And when you awoke?' he asked.

Rukia felt the heat climbing her neck, spilling out over her cheeks and she bowed her head in shame.

'I see.'

She hated disappointing her brother. Rukia would rather fight a million hollows than disappoint Byakuya.

'I do not expect the details, but I must know if there's a chance a pregnancy could occur on the back of this,' Byakuya's tone was laced with something obtrusive and new. Rukia finally brought her eyes back up to meet her brothers gaze and was shocked to find a calm smile on his face.

'N-Nii-Sama?' she questioned.

Byakuya couldn't help himself, his composure slipped and he tilted his chin up to the ceiling as a smile took over his face, lighting his features. Rukia was shocked, she couldn't believe how much the genuine smile served to make him look years younger. Even with the natural crinkle to the edges of his eyes, it was as if three decades slipped from his shoulders.

'Forgive me,' he said with a chuckle, 'I mustn't get ahead of myself.'

Rukia then realised, her brother wasn't just happy for her, he was excited. The look she was seeing, rejuvenating his face and taking years off his complexion was one of anticipation.

'Y-you want me to be pregnant?' she asked, stunned.

Byakuya shook his head at once, smile falling from his face. 'No, I only wish you to be pregnant if it is what you wish.'

She understood. He was happy for her, but if this had been done against her will, he'd have murdered the person responsible. It was very clear that he was excited to become an uncle but perhaps he'd been hiding that excitement so as to not put any extra pressure on Rukia. She felt a wave of gratitude and affection flow through her and finally she relaxed.

'Thank you, Nii-Sama,' Rukia ducked her head. 'I do not know for sure, however… everything was…' Rukia inclined her head, the heat climbing her cheeks, 'that is to say… I will be very surprised if I am not pregnant.'

Byakuya beamed at her again, his eyes twinkling in a way Rukia had always associated with Captain Ukitake, 'who else knows?'

'Well, Captain Hitsugaya-'

'Of course,' Byakuya chuckled and waved a hand for her to continue.

'-and Captain Ukitake.'

Byakuya nodded his head, 'who else are we telling?'

'No one, until I am more certain. I won't know for another few days… but perhaps Ichigo may find out and maybe some of the other Omega's. I think it would be foolish of me to assume I can keep it from them for so long.'

'And Renji?' Byakuya asked.

Rukia started, it was odd, hearing her friend's first name come from her brother's mouth. Byakuya smiled more sheepishly still.

'He told me what happened and the conversation you had with him,' Byakuya nodded his head, 'he told me what you were willing to do to protect him. To protect us.'

'I-' Rukia didn't know what to say. She hadn't expected this conversation to come up during her morning tea with her brother.

'I shall not speak of the potential relations between Renji and I,' Byakuya said, as he poured them each a fresh cup of tea, 'but I will say, when he told me what you did. I was filled with such pride and affection for you. It was as if my pride had swollen too large for me to contain.'

Rukia sat a little straighter at the praise and grinned at her brother who smiled back. She understood that the topic of him and Renji was off the table for discussion, he'd made that very clear. Unlike her relationship with Hitsugaya which could still be spoken about and dissected, but there was something in her brothers admittance of it, that made Rukia feel she was being trusted.

'Now,' Byakuya put the empty pot back on the table and picked up his teacup with the same excitement as before on his face, 'what are we having?'

'What,' Rukia glanced at her teacup, 'we're having tea?'

Byakuya chuckled into his teacup, 'I mean the gender of the baby, Rukia.' His voice had an air of patience and amusement that had Rukia flushing once again.

'It's a little early for that,' Rukia mumbled shyly.

'The Captains already have several betting pools on, who will end up with whom and who will have the first child. It swung out of left field that it was Lieutenant Ise, and unfortunately Head Captain had the advantage of that one,' Byakuya explained.

'You're betting on all this?' Rukia asked with a patient sigh.

'Naturally, it adds an element of competitiveness to this entire ordeal,' he shrugged, 'I shall put my money down on a girl.'

'Oh,' Rukia laughed, 'I hadn't even thought about any of it, I've barely had a chance to comprehend what's happened.'

Byakuya nodded his head in understand, but stopped talking as a servant brought fresh egg rolls, rice and fish in for breakfast. Rukia was starving and ate as she listened to her brother explain what had been happening between the Captains since this project launched. He spoke of his own division and caught Rukia up to speed on his recruitment, in return Rukia spoke of Kiyone's promotion and the newly recruited seated officers.

'You do realise,' Byakuya started, 'that this project is just the first wave.'

'What do you mean?' Rukia asked, as her brother passed her the last of the egg rolls to finish off.

'Well, we have a lot of other seated officers who are Omegas. If peace continues the way it has been, we may find babies becoming more of a regular thing in the Seireitei,' he explained.

Rukia hadn't even thought about what this would mean going forward, but she could see this being a start for future Omega and Alpha couples. That would likely bring a lot of challenges and issues with sleeping arrangements and heats. Rukia hadn't forgotten of that officer who had tried to break into the Omega barracks.

'We will likely start to see laws being changed and progress being made,' Byakuya stated and Rukia hoped he was right. She wished for her brother to have laws that protected him and whatever his relationship was with Renji.

Breakfast ended when a servant came in to remind them of the time. Byakuya had to get into the office and Rukia had to go and have her meeting with the Head Captain to be given the results. She could feel that anxious ball of nerves in her stomach and her brother embraced her.

'Remember, no matter the results, Captain Hitsugaya has made his decision.'

Rukia nodded into her brother's haori before she stepped back. He opened the door and there, standing on the doorstep, his hand raised as if to knock, was Ichigo.

'Good morning, Kurosaki,' Byakuya's voice seemed to have lowered an octave and Rukia pursed her lips in amusement.

'Good morning Byakuya,' Ichigo said with a small smile.

'Captain,' Byakuya corrected him, as he always did, 'Captain Kuchiki.'

'Sure,' Ichigo dismissed him and Rukia could feel her brothers spiritual pressure prickling. With pursed lips, she jumped out to save her friend.

'Ichigo, why don't we walk together to the meeting? Nii-Sama is that okay?' she asked. Though she was dismissed, she wished to give her brother the chance to do it formally.

Byakuya's eyes were still glaring at the tall substitute but his shoulders relaxed and he finally met Rukia's gaze, giving her a small nod.

'Thank you, Nii-Sama,' Rukia bowed.

'I expect to see you later, once the results have been given,' her brothers voice wavered with his concern and Rukia smiled at him.

With a final bow she was dragging Ichigo away from her brothers firing range by his elbow. Ichigo stumbled along before falling into line and tugging his arm free, while Rukia laughed giddily beside him.

'Must you wind my brother up, Ichigo?' she chuckled.

'Yeah…' but it wasn't an answer to her question. Ichigo's voice sounded distant and far off. Rukia glanced up at him and his brown eyes were gazing ahead, but the humour and light seemed to have gone from them.

'Ichigo?' Rukia asked tentatively. She knew him to well. She could read his body language, his reiatsu, his scent. Though outside his scent seemed to get washed away in the fresh air, but as he swung his arms, Rukia caught it. It was laced with apprehension and shame.

'Ichigo?' Rukia stopped walking now, and Ichigo had to stop when he realised she wasn't walking beside him. 'What's going on?'

It was clear the Alpha was struggling. He stood there awkwardly, glancing back at her and then looking down at the ground, his shoulders slumped in a defeated sort of way.

'Everyone was talking about it… you didn't come back from your date with Captain Hitsugaya,' he said. Rukia felt her throat constrict. She thought they'd been over this, that they'd discussed it. They'd even tried kissing? They weren't compatible sexually…

But even as she thought it she could feel the squirming in her stomach. It wasn't that simple. Feelings couldn't be put to bed after one conversation and one bad kiss. Affection ran deep, especially between an Alpha male and Omega female, the polar opposites, the pinnacle cliché of "opposites attract." It ran down the very strands of their DNA and for Ichigo and Rukia the two had history unlike any other pairing who were tasked to go through with this project.

There was no point in lying to him. It was clear the news had been spreading and Rukia would only delay his hurt by trying to protect him.

'They're right, I didn't,' Rukia said simply. Ichigo nodded his head slowly, in understanding. His eyes seemed to gloss over and she watched his adams apple bob as he swallowed.

'I came to check on you,' he said, his voice quieter. Rukia listened because she understood that this was important. Ichigo never spoke about his feelings so the fact that he'd started meant a lot. 'See how it went… chat it out with you if it went bad and you wanted it to be good, or… or… celebrate with you if it went well…'

Ichigo ran a hand through his orange spikes, the movement of his uncovered scent glands on his wrists sending more of his scent into the air. He was becoming more upset as he spoke. Rukia still did not interrupt him. She listened, and waited patiently.

'It was ten at night… so I waited. One hour, two hours, three hours… eventually I realised that-' his voice caught in his throat and he took a deep breath. Rukia felt her heart shattering in her chest. She'd only seen Ichigo close to tears a couple of times before, but he'd always turn it into anger. This was so much worse, because he had nothing to fight and his air of defeat only amplified the pain in Rukia's chest.

'You weren't coming home,' he closed his eyes and shook his head trying to rid himself of emotion. 'I didn't know what to do with myself. I felt hurt, lonely, jealous, the thought of him touching you… undressing you-'

'Ichigo,' Rukia couldn't help herself. She stepped forward, wishing she could offer him something in the way of comfort, reaching out to him with a hand that he shrugged off.

'Let me finish,' his choked voice said and he turned away from her. Rukia stood, rooted to the spot, her heart shattering into a million pieces inside her chest. The street that they stood in was empty. Nothing but a draft of warm air ghosted down toward them, blowing Rukia's hair away from her face and ruffling Ichigo's uniform. Rukia was still, aware they were going to be late for the meeting but also not caring. Ichigo seemed to collect himself and continued to speak.

'I didn't know what to do, I wanted a distraction. I thought about going and goading a fight out of Renji. I thought about even trying to fight Kenpatchi, but in the end… I realised that those distractions wouldn't be enough to replace those thoughts,' Ichigo took a deep breath and turned to Rukia, she saw the tears bubbling in the corner of his eyes. 'Rukia, I did something stupid.'

Then suddenly everything clicked.

It was as if she had been watching a thriller unfold before her. All the subtle clues and hints falling into place in the final climactic moment before the killer was revealed.

'You went to see Rangiku,' Rukia said.

It explained everything.

It explained why Ichigo was so upset, so torn, why Rangiku could barely look at her. It explained their awkward interaction during the spiritual pressure test the day before. Rukia watched as Ichigo's eyes swept over her face and then he nodded.

Rukia let out a breath, trying to evaluate her feelings. She felt a little hurt and confused, but the more she searched and analysed the more she just felt relieved. One of her biggest regrets of her tête-à-tête with Captain Hitsugaya was how it would impact Ichigo and their relationship. Even though it hadn't been at the forefront of her mind, Rukia could now recognise it, as if it had been scratching away at the back of her brain.

'I understand,' she started, because she had to say something. Ichigo was standing there, waiting for her to speak. 'You were lonely and Rangiku is someone you've been getting along well with while you've been here.'

'I'm sorry,' he said and took a step toward her as if to comfort her.

'No, don't be,' Rukia shook her head and found herself smiling. Somewhere in amongst all her feelings, was relief, 'Ichigo, we both know we have a special connection. We always will. But we proved to ourselves that time with the kiss that we're not compatible in that way.'

'I know but-'

'Honestly, it's fine,' Rukia shook her head again, 'it would be unfair of me to be mad at you. I'm not going to stand here and lie to my best friend. You know fine well that I spent the night with Captain Hitsugaya.'

She watched the hurt flash across his face at these words, but they needed to be said. They needed to air everything so that they could move on.

'I'd say that I considered your feelings, that I was hesitant because of our relationship but that's not true,' Rukia said bluntly, 'I let everything go. You need to do the same. We'll always be family, Ichigo, nothing will change that.'

He smiled sadly at her words.

'Do you like Rangiku?' Rukia asked. Ichigo glanced around him, and Rukia gave him time to scrutinise his feelings for the strawberry blonde.

'I don't know,' Ichigo answered honestly, 'it's still too early to tell.'

Rukia nodded in understanding, 'that is where Captain Hitsugaya and I are just now.'

Ichigo's mouth ticked up at the corner, 'did he ask you to call him that last night?'

'You're disgusting,' Rukia rolled her eyes but felt the tension in the air between them, shatter with his joke. It didn't stop the flush of heat from climbing her neck and finding its way back onto her cheeks. Rukia continued to walk, skirting past him and he chuckled before catching up.

'Seriously though, I want to know how it went. I know it will probably hurt to hear everything but… I want to be your best friend, your family and I want you to be able to talk to me about this kind of stuff,' Ichigo said. Rukia smiled guiltily up at him.

She really didn't deserve a friend like Ichigo Kurosaki.

'You too, I want to hear all the details,' Rukia laughed.

'Well,' it was Ichigo's turn to flush now, 'you maybe don't want _all _the details. Things did get a little messy.'

'Alright, alright,' Rukia made to cover her ears with her hands, 'maybe not all of them.'

The two of them laughed and joked and managed to make it to the Head Captain's office only ten minutes late.

The room was filled with the same number of souls as it had the initial day they'd been briefed of the project. Instead of the chamber being filled with the orange glow of dusk, the chamber was filled with the bright sunlight of the early morning. The red pillars looked less foreboding in the brighter light and the bodies in the space turned toward them as they entered.

Rukia gave the room an apologetic bow for being late, while Ichigo ignored them and walked into the hall. She just noticed the nod of Ichigo's head and followed his gaze to where Rangiku stood. Her shoulders seemed to relax and then her eyes found Rukia's, round and full of remorse. Rukia shook her head and gave the other Omega a soft smile and then Rukia's eyes slid to the Alpha beside her. Captain Hitsugaya had looked tense too, but at her nonverbal communication, relaxed at once. If Rukia had to guess, she'd assumed that Rangiku had told her Captain everything, which was likely why she'd dragged the man away the evening before and Toshiro had been concerned about how this would impact their relationship.

She didn't have a chance to speak to either of them though as the Head Captain had rose to his feet, his entire demeanour beaming and a hush fell over the room.

'Welcome back,' he chuckled. The older man was exhibiting the same level of enthusiasm as Byakuya had that very morning. The more Rukia examined his lined face the more she could see him practically glowing. Standing at his right, dutifully and looking a little tired, was his mate Nanao. Rukia made eye contact with the pregnant Omega and offered her a kind smile, which was returned.

'Isn't this exciting,' Captain Kyoraku beamed, 'look at you all. You've all had a chance to grow so much closer. I won't drag this out too long, I promise,' he waved a hand airily but he couldn't hide his childlike grin.

Nanao stepped forward with a sealed scroll and handed it to him. He accepted it from her, letting his hand brush hers affectionately as he did so. The Lieutenant flushed and retracted her hands, turning to stand back in her original spot, but Rukia could see the way Nanao's body leaned toward her mate. Rukia was curious, for the first time in her life, as to what a bond between an Alpha and Omega felt like.

The seal was cracked open and Head Captain gave them all a broad grin, clearly drawing the moment out, despite his words. Rukia barely resisted rolling her eyes, but she felt the tingle of apprehension in her bones.

She might be paired up with Ichigo, Yukio or Captain Hitsugaya. It was very unlikely that she would be paired with Renji given how the scent test had gone. If she had to guess which test would be worth the most points, it was likely the scent test. Two souls who couldn't stand each other's' scents were unlikely to mate with each other.

Captain Kyoraku was now rolling the scroll open, painfully slow and Rukia couldn't tear her eyes away. She hoped the back of the scroll could be read through, with the light flooding the space. The Head Captain gave a small gasp and held the scroll out toward his mate. Nanao wasted no time in glancing over the results, her eyebrows rising, but nothing in her face gave anything away.

'Come on old man,' Ichigo groaned, breaking the tension, 'you're killing us here.'

There was a rumble of agreement from the other Alpha's. Rukia finally glanced around the room and saw Yukio, much more alert and eager than he had been the day he'd been dragged in by the guards. Kiyone was huddled close to her sister, Captain Kotetsu, the Alpha had a protective arm around the younger woman's shoulders. Captain Hitsugaya had his fists balled at his sides, his eyes unmoving from the Head Captain and looking like he wanted to freeze the older man. Rangiku was bouncing anxiously beside her Captain, the movement doing interesting things to her chest. Renji looked bored and uncaring, and Lieutenant Hinamori looked expectantly toward the leader.

'In order of least compatible to the most,' the Head Captain read, 'we have Momo and Renji.'

Renji shrugged his shoulders but there was an outcry from Lieutenant Hinamori in the corner. The woman took a step toward the Head Captain and her eyes flickered between him and Captain Hitsugaya.

'Sir, Sir, surely there's been a mistake?' she questioned.

'Remember your place, Lieutenant,' it was Nanao who snapped at her. Rukia pursed her lips, as emotions flooded her. She felt relief that Captain Hitsugaya would not be paired with Hinamori, she felt amusement at the Omega's response to the results and even more amusement at the way Nanao had defended the questioning of her mate.

Head Captain shot the Lieutenant a look and with a sad whimper, Hinamori stepped back, ducking her head. Rukia would have felt sorry for the girl, if it hadn't been for all the shit she knew she'd put Toshiro through. Rukia's eyes found the icy Captain's and their gazes' locked for a few moments. She could see the relief in those teal eyes but also the concern. Rukia wondered if he was still concerned that she might be paired with Ichigo.

'Second to last,' Head Captain continued reading from the list, 'is Ichigo and Rangiku.'

There was a mumble of chatter in the room now, every soul turning to glance between the two strawberry blonde's. Renji snorted his laugher, reached over and punched Ichigo in what was clearly meant to be a congratulatory manner but simply looked aggressive. Ichigo smiled sheepishly and met Rangiku's eyes. The Omega gave him a soft and caring smile back and then Ichigo's eyes were on Rukia.

She gave him an encouraging smile and thumbs up. She could feel many eyes on her at the mention of Ichigo's results too, including Nanao's, but Rukia had already made peace with these potential results.

'And in second place,' the Head Captain gave a small low whistle, 'is Kiyone and Toshiro.'

_Kiyone… _

_Toshiro…_

_Kiyone and Toshiro!_

Rukia felt like someone had punched her. She felt like all the air in the room had evaporated and she couldn't get a handle on her reiatsu. The shock, caused it to crackle, caused her well maintained composure to slip.

She'd been so sure as soon as Ichigo had been paired with Rangiku, that she would be the only match for Captain Hitsugaya. There was no other logical pairing…

That meant she'd been more compatible with Yukio? There was no way.

The rumble of chatter broke around the room, people coming to the realisation of this. Rukia glanced at Captain Hitsugaya who looked just as stunned. His grey brows furrowing into deep confused lines on his face, his jaw set as if he'd made his mind up about something. Even Kiyone and Yukio looked confused, meeting each other's eyes and frowning at each other.

Nanao picked a stack of paperwork up off the desk, and Rukia figured that she was going to start handing out something for them to sign, but she only whacked her mate harshly on the back of his head. The resounding noise echoed off the ancient walls and the Head Captain gave a startled yelp.

'Do it properly,' Nanao snapped, 'this is no time.'

'Sorry, sorry,' Captain Kyoraku whined, the Alpha in him cowering in the presence of his angry Omega mate. 'I was joking,' he chuckled, 'Kiyone and Yukio were paired in second and Toshiro and Rukia in first.'

The Head Captain had spoken quickly, eyeing the stack of paper in his mates hands that she hadn't let go of. Rukia felt the relief wash through her, and her anger bubbled at the Head Captain. Did he think this was some kind of sick game? That had been a horrible joke to play.

It seemed others did not share her views though, as Ichigo stood chuckling next to her.

'You should have seen your face,' he laughed. It must have been an Alpha thing.

Rukia punched him with all the reiatsu that had spilled from the shocked announcement and Ichigo gave a yelp of indignation and twisted away from her, clutching his frozen arm. The Omega straightened and glanced over to Captain Hitsugaya. His eyes were twinkling with mirth and his lips were pulled back in that smug side smirk, dimple flashing at her once again.

Trying to regain her composure, Rukia turned her attention to the Head Captain for further instruction. There was none.

'That's it,' he said cheerfully, spreading his arms in a fatherly manner, 'is there anything anyone would like to share with the room?'

Rukia wondered what he meant by that? Was he inviting the souls to give feedback on the project? Was he expecting them to speak about how their dates went or if anyone had started dating? Rukia was confused, which changed to surprise as she felt a strong hand on her back shoving her forward. She stumbled two steps toward the Head Captain and turned back to glare at Ichigo who was grinning broadly at her.

'Ahh, Rukia,' the Head Captain rumbled, leaning against his desk as Rukia turned to look back at him, 'one has been hearing on the grapevine as they say… is there something you'd care to share with the room?'

Rukia could feel the eyes of everyone else trained in on her. She could feel an angry and embarrassed flush rising in her own cheeks, but she'd be damned if she were going to let Ichigo push her around like that.

'Ichigo spent the night with an Omega the other day, and it wasn't me,' Rukia shrugged and glanced back at him. Ichigo scowled at her, but looked a little impressed by her daring.

'That bus felt great rolling over me, Rukia, thanks,' he growled at her. The growl was full of teasing and affection, as if their relationship hadn't changed.

'You started it,' Rukia shrugged.

'Oh,' the Head Captain clapped his hands excitedly, 'this is news to me! Ichigo please do share.'

'Well…' his eyes flickered to Rangiku, giving him away instantly. Rukia followed his gaze and saw the tall Omega blushing but standing firm.

'It was with me, Sir,' Rangiku said, 'he spent the night with me after Rukia spent the night with Captain Hitsugaya.'

'Thanks, Lieutenant,' her Captain scowled.

'If I'm going down, you're coming down with me,' Rangiku grinned and flicked her long strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder.

'So… is there a chance?' the Head Captain asked looking really excited and turning toward the squad four Captain.

'I'd have to- I'd have to ask some very personal questions,' the doctor said uncomfortably and Rangiku's giggle filled the space.

'Go ahead, I don't mind,' she shrugged, 'we're kind of there anyway.'

Rukia had to agree with that statement, next to Head Captain's practical joke and the inappropriate questions and reveals that had already been slung around the room, they'd already crossed bridges they shouldn't have.

'Did you go into a temporary heat, Rangiku?' Captain Kotetsu asked, still looking a little uncomfortable but also excited.

Rangiku met the doctor's eyes and then gave a slow nod. Just like Rukia, it seemed that Rangiku's body had responded to being around an Alpha she found desirable while she was fertile. Captain Kotetsu looked euphoric, her expression mirrored by the Head Captains.

'May I?' she asked, nodding her head to Rangiku's stomach, 'or would you prefer to wait until we were in private?'

'Can you tell so soon?' Rangiku asked, excitement lighting up her face.

'Not always. It can take anywhere from a couple of hours to a few days to know for sure, but we could check?'

'Perhaps this best be done in private,' Nanao said and Rukia glanced up at the Lieutenant. Her eyes were trained in on the corner and Rukia followed her gaze to see Hinamori standing, with tears rolling down her face. Her puffy red eyes were glaring at Rukia and Rukia bristled. It wasn't her fault that Captain Hitsugaya did not desire the other Lieutenant.

'We can head to the infirmary immediately after this, if that's okay with your Captain?' the doctor replied, her eyes sliding to Captain Hitsugaya who nodded his head. Then his eyes were on Rukia's, silently asking the question; should they go as well?

Rukia felt her stomach contact with apprehension and excitement. She gave the Captain a brief nod while everyone was distracted. The Head Captain clapped his hands.

'It's settled then, let's take this meeting to squad four,' he announced happily.

'We're not going with them,' Nanao scolded and Rukia realised she had a new pastime, watching Nanao chastise her Alpha mate. It seemed to brighten the brief dim that had fallen over her at the Head Captains joke.

'Why not?' Captain Kyoraku asked.

'Because it's private,' she snapped.

'I'm fine with it,' Rangiku shrugged, 'you're all going to find out anyway, might as well do it together since we're all part of this.'

Rukia didn't share the woman's enthusiasm for having everyone else privy to her own personal reveal. However she'd never say this to her superiors and stepped out the way as the Captains made to lead the party. Excitement was scented heavily in the air, and Ichigo met Rukia's eyes briefly for a second before he disappeared with the rest of the party through the doors.

Renji hung back, his eyes on Hinamori and a look of sympathy on his face. Rukia knew he'd gone to the Academy with her. There was history there and if anyone could talk sense into her, it was likely him.

'Will you be okay?' Rukia asked, her eyes flickering to the upset Lieutenant. The other Omega looked like she was on the verge of a mental breakdown.

'Yeah, you go, and give me some good news later,' Renji grinned knowingly down at her and Rukia felt an embarrassed scowl cross her features.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Rukia grumbled.

'I think you know,' he chuckled and patted her arm, but not in a condescending way. Then Renji walked off to confront the other Omega. Rukia sighed and let him go, turning toward the door and starting for a second when she saw Captain Hitsugaya waiting for her. His face was impassive, impressive, an air of authority and power in his stance, with his hands crossed over his chest. However, Rukia could see the twinkle in his eye, the boyish excitement. He'd waited for Rukia, but it was clear he wanted more than anything to know if she was pregnant or not.

'Oh, Toshiro! You waited for me?' Hinamori's voice called from the corner and Rukia saw that hard edge return to Captain Hitsugaya's face. The twinkle in his eyes died, his jaw clenched and he looked _cold. _For the second time since Rukia had started to pay attention to him, he looked like the Captain of his element.

'No, Lieutenant, you need professional help. I am not your mate and I am not waiting for you, I am waiting for Rukia,' he said it with such authority, laced with his Alpha growl that Rukia had vivid flashbacks to the morning they'd spent together the day before. She swallowed, choosing never to admit out loud how much satisfaction the use of her first name on his tongue brought her.

The use of Hinamori's title and Rukia's first name seemed to be the final nail in the coffin. Rukia felt the attack just a split second before it happened. Her training with Ichigo for all those years, with Byakuya and by herself had prepared her, and without even batting an eye, Rukia's blade had come up to shield the attack. The zanpakuto's clanged loudly in the chamber and Rukia had Hinamori's blade frozen in an instant, her hands alongside it.

With a painful yelp, Hinamori had leapt away from her, trying to call on her own spiritual pressure to thaw out the ice, but she was too hysterical, too upset to properly control her power and in the split second it took for her to realise this, Captain Hitsugaya put himself between them.

'You dare,' he snarled and Rukia flinched back.

This was unlike any voice she'd ever heard before. It was beyond anger, it was beyond aggression, it was beyond just a Captain giving an order. This was the deep rooted strands of protectiveness that made up his core, an Alpha protecting his mate, a warrior fighting for his future and a scared (potential) father.

'You don't want her,' Hinamori choked back a sob, her hands frozen to the hilt of her blade, 'you can't.'

'I do,' Captain Hitsugaya rose to his full height, and the look was impressive. His shoulders were pushed back and he was exerting his power and authority in his stance, 'Rukia is _mine. _I have logged an official complaint against you, Lieutenant, and if you ever… _ever _try to hurt her again. I personally will see to it, that you never do anything else.'

Renji had wrapped an arm around Hinamori now, clearly trying to stop her doing anything else. A few guards had appeared in the chamber, given the commotion and were looking around at the scene. They took Captain Hitsugaya's lead and crowded around Renji and the Lieutenant.

Rukia was barely paying attention, her mind seemed to be stuck on the fact he'd called her _his. _"Rukia is _mine."_

Rukia should have bristled with indignation. She was not some object to be owned and claimed and yet… yet…

Gods did she want to be his.

When the Captain turned to check on her, his eyes so full of fear and worry, Rukia tried her best to put a reassuring smile on her face.

'We're going straight to squad four,' he said.

'She didn't cut me,' Rukia shook her head with a soft smile.

'It would make me feel better,' the Captain replied.

Rukia barely resisted rolling her eyes, smile turning fond, 'fine, but only to make you feel better.'

A cry behind them sounded shrill around the room when Captain Hitsugaya placed his hand on the lower part of Rukia's back. She had to wonder, with some satisfaction, how Hinamori would react to know that he'd mated with her. The thought was brief, and gave Rukia a twisted sense of satisfaction, but thinking something so cruel and doing something so cruel were two very different paths and Rukia hadn't been raised to give in to her most basic desires.

Well… not all of them anyway.

The retort had died on her tongue and Captain Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow to her as they left the chamber. She could see his other hand clenched and shaking by his side, he was still angry.

'You looked like you wanted to say something,' he commented smartly once they were out in the open air and Rukia greedily drunk in the fresh breaths of it, finally free from the over saturated emotional turmoil.

'I did,' Rukia sighed, 'I wanted to make some comment about the bonding mark on my neck.'

She studied the Captain's expression as he walked beside her. It twisted into his famous side smirk, the little dimple flashing again.

'That would have amused me,' his sigh was almost wishful.

'It's not my style,' Rukia said, 'to sink so low.'

'Is it unbecoming of a Kuchiki noble woman?' Toshiro's voice was low, playful. The sound made Rukia flush.

'Are you making fun of me, Captain?' she asked.

'Not even in the slightest,' his chuckle was tender, the Alpha notes rumbling deep and satisfied in his chest, 'I find it very admirable.'

'Oh well, as long as it's _admirable,' _Rukia retorted, rolling her eyes and forgetting her place. Captain Hitsugaya's steps faltered, just like hers had that very first day he'd come to collect her.

'You're cheeky,' Toshiro commented, humour lacing his words and Rukia was pleased to see the shaking in his hands had stopped. 'How have I never noticed this?'

'There's a lot to me, you don't know. But I have a feeling that is a two way street,' Rukia stated simply. She could feel a content Omega feeling in her chest, a bubbling happiness that she could make her Alpha smile and laugh. They walked in silence for a moment, while he contemplated whatever was on his mind.

'You are a beautiful enigma, Rukia,' he said, folding his arms into the opposite sleeves of his haori. 'One I look forward to learning.'

Rukia didn't know how to reply to that sentence without seeming overtly Omega. She wanted to wriggle her way under his arm, so she could walk side by side with him, she wanted to whine at the use of the word "beautiful," she wanted to say something else charming, that would make him laugh.

Instead, she fought it down, aware they were passing soldiers and they were still in working hours. Now was not the time to give in to her hormones again.

* * *

As soon as the pair arrived at the infirmary they were shown to the waiting room where all the other souls had gathered and an excited murmuring had started to break out. The chamber was large, housing several couches and chairs and tables with flowers sitting in neat little vases. They could tell at once that something had happened, for the scent of excitement had increased tenfold since the party of souls had left the Head Captains office.

'What did we miss?' Rukia asked, sliding up beside Kiyone. It appeared that Yukio wasn't present for as Rukia glanced around she couldn't see him.

'Rangiku is pregnant,' Kiyone beamed, clearly not put out by her blond Alpha's disappearance.

'Oh wow,' Rukia felt an anxious twisting in her stomach, 'they really can tell that soon?'

'That's not all,' Kiyone laughed, 'you know Rangiku. She can't do anything by halves. She's got to go full swing.'

'What do you mean?' Rukia asked.

'Its twins!' the blonde girl exclaimed and Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya shared a look.

Rukia had been prepared for one, of course she had. But twins?

What if she had twins?

She could see a deep and excited looking emotion flicker briefly in the teal eyes that stared back at her.

'Are you going to get checked too?' Kiyone asked, dropping her voice to a whisper, 'or are you going to wait until the room is less crowded?'

Indicating with her head, Rukia glanced around and felt her chest tighten. Rangiku and Ichigo seemed to be swarmed by a sea of congratulatory bodies. Most of the room consisted of squad four members but also the Head Captain, Nanao and Captain Kotetsu. She could hear the bubble of squad four officers taking bets on the genders and asking Rangiku if they could hold the babies once they arrived.

Rukia was fine with a handful of people knowing… but she didn't want a fanfare and a fuss. She could feel a bubble of panic and anxiety twisting in her stomach. Her eyes met Captain Hitsugaya's briefly before he slipped through the crowd, as silent as snowfall and pulled Captain Kotetsu to the side.

The doctor's eyes met Rukia's gaze while Captain Hitsugaya whispered to her and she nodded her head in understanding. Holding a hand up to Kiyone, the soon-to-be-Lieutenant responded instantly.

'Come with me,' Kiyone said.

Rukia didn't wait. The room felt stifling and she was feeling faint. Perhaps the last couple of days were finally catching up to her on an emotional level. Now that she was here, it all felt so real, too real. She was struggling to breathe.

Her third seat led Rukia into the Captain's office, closing the door after Captain Hitsugaya managed to slip inside.

'Are you okay?' Toshiro asked her. Crossing the distance between the door and where Rukia had leaned against the wall.

'Fine,' her voice was a little higher than usual. She didn't realise how tightly strung she was until the Captain placed a soothing hand around the back of her neck. Then his skin turned impossibly cool as he channelled his reiatsu and Rukia closed her eyes and savoured the temperature. The cold served to ground her, and his breath ghosted over her face. She could feel his gaze, so full of care and understanding, waiting for her reaction.

Rukia stayed stock still, for a few moments. Breathing his breath into her lungs before she finally fluttered her eyes open and met his concerned gaze.

'I'm fine,' Rukia nodded.

She wasn't.

It was a lie. There were so many emotions ploughing through her. She was scared that she was pregnant and what that would mean for her future and her relationships. She was scared if she wasn't pregnant and what _that _would mean for her and Captain Hitsugaya. Would they try again? Would he leave her for a more fertile Omega? She didn't want him to leave her. She didn't want him to give up.

'Rukia,' his breath blew across her face and he cupped her cheeks between his hands, a cold thumb running across her cheek in a bid to try and sooth her. His breath held a distant scent of mint, toothpaste used that morning and a fragrance from whatever tea he'd recently drunk. She tried to focus on that, tried to let it settle the war within her.

If Kiyone was still present, the other Omega didn't move or make a sound, leaving the two to their private moment.

'Alright Rukia,' the sound of a door opening and Captain Kotetsu's voice caused her to stir. Rukia opened her eyes and met the worried gaze of Captain Hitsugaya before he took his hands away from.

'Is everything okay?' the squad four Captain gazed with just as much concern as Captain Hitsugaya had. Rukia swallowed and nodded her head, a hand on the hilt of her zanpakuto in comfort. She could feel the ice spirit trying to transfer her strength.

The squad four Captain seemed unconvinced, but decided not to comment.

'I'm fine,' Rukia said, with as much conviction as she felt. It earned her a sympathy stare from Kiyone before Rukia was being directed to lie on the bed. The paper crinkled beneath her as she lay down and Captain Kotetsu stepped up beside her.

'Rukia do you want me to wait outside?' Kiyone asked.

'No,' Rukia shook her head, 'it's fine, you can stay.'

Kiyone nodded and sat in the corner with the air of someone who was going to appear as invisible as possible. Smiling to herself Rukia tried to relax when she was instructed to do so. Captain Kotetsu raised her hands over Rukia's stomach and then a faint green glow cast warmth across the area. Behind the doctor, Rukia could see Captain Hitsugaya beginning to pace.

Rukia held her breath and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure how long this process would take. She wasn't sure what outcome she wanted to receive from it. So she spent the time trying to analyse and focus her thoughts. Yes she did want to be pregnant, but she had only signed up for one… at least at the moment.

Her eyes shot open the moment the heat disappeared and Captain Kotetsu was lowering her hands, a faint smile on her young pale face.

'Congratulations Rukia, you're pregnant.'

The words took a few moments to sink in. She was pregnant… they could tell. That was it. The deed had been done, the metaphorical and literal seed planted. Rukia gave a shaky laugh as she sat up.

'Wait,' she glanced at the doctor who looked at her with concern from her tone, 'is it just one?'

'Just one,' Captain Kotetsu laughed and Toshiro, who had clearly been trying to contain himself, made a strangled Alpha sound and scooped Rukia up into his arms the moment her feet were planted on the ground.

Rukia could hear the chuckles from the doctor and Kiyone but she ignored them and hid her shy smile into Captain Hitsugaya's shoulder. She could feel his arms, strong and secure, hugging her tightly, the rumbling of happiness deep in his chest.

'I can't believe it,' he breathed into her hair, loud enough for only her to hear.

'I know,' Rukia buried into his haori and closed her eyes. She could smell his smug and happy Alpha scent, slowly becoming so potent that it was burning the back of her tongue. 'I need to tell my brother.'

'Of course,' he said, lowering her feet back to the ground slowly, as if he didn't want to let to her go, 'we can head straight there.'

'Captain Ukitake will be expecting me back,' Rukia sighed, adjusting the bindings of her zanpakuto as they'd been knocked down her hip in his crushing embrace.

'I will inform Captain Ukitake that you're running late, Rukia, I will not tell him why,' the blonde girl shook her head and Rukia smiled ruefully. She was sure her Captain would figure everything out.

* * *

It seemed that Captain Ukitake wouldn't be the only one to figure everything out. Toshiro's euphoric and smug Alpha scent carried out into the hallway with them, where they started to draw attention. Rukia tugged at his sleeves to try and pull him away from the others who had started surrounding them. The Head Captain put two and two together instantly and was clapping Toshiro on the back with fatherly affection while Nanao looked apologetically at Rukia.

Toshiro only relented to follow her when she threatened to leave without him and marched in the direction of squad six without looking at him. The Alpha practically skipped alongside her and Rukia had to make peace with the fact that nothing would ever be a secret again.

'If I asked you to do me a favour,' Rukia sighed, feeling like heat was forever permanently etched into her cheeks since the announcement, 'would you?'

'Of course,' Captain Hitsugaya rumbled beside her.

'Would you try and be a bit more discreet?' she begged.

The Captain caught himself mid skip and stumbled into a normal walking pace instead, his rumbles turning to laugher once again.

'Thank you,' Rukia sighed as the gates of the sixth appeared before them. 'I know my brother will be excited but I do not know what he will expect from you given that we've gone about all of this in a very untraditional way.'

'Do you think he will ask if I plan to marry you?' Toshiro's voice was so calm, the same teasing note to it that he'd used before and Rukia's steps faltered. She could feel the heat darken on her face and tried to scowl.

'Don't be ridiculous,' she sighed.

'Isn't that the noble way? Marriage first, then a child?' Captain Hitsugaya asked.

'Yes, but this was a mission, its different.'

Rukia didn't realise what she'd said until his scent reached her nostrils. The smug and excited smell had receded into an impassive and neutral scent and Rukia glanced up at him to see the same tight looking face he'd worn when he looked at Hinamori.

'Sorry, that came out wrong,' Rukia sighed.

'No, it came out exactly as you intended. I understand, this is just a mission.' His voice had a cold hard edge to it and it made Rukia groan in frustration. She was too tired to be dealing with this level of hormonal imbalance right now. Whatever their tensions were, she wanted to fix it before she went to see her brother. Rukia stopped walking so that Captain Hitsugaya had to stop and turn back around to face her. The gates of the Kuchiki manor behind him, framed his broadening build, making him look more direct and formidable.

'I am sorry,' Rukia said rubbing her temples, 'I am tired. I didn't sleep well last night, I've been hormonal and emotional ever since I became fertile. You have to understand this is all incredibly new to me. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, I was simply stating that in the eyes of the noblemen, this is a mission.'

'What is it in your eyes?' his voice was softer now and when Rukia glanced up at him, his gaze was full of unease for her once again.

'I- I don't know,' Rukia shook her head, 'I've barely had time to process any of this.'

It was a cop out and she knew he knew that. His arms folded across his chest and he raised an eyebrow at her. The last few weeks had flown by in a blur and Rukia felt like she'd been scrubbed raw and left bare for the world to see. It was uncomfortable and she felt vulnerable and naked as she stood there under his gaze. It was no excuse to mess him around though.

'Do you find me attractive?' he asked.

Rukia spluttered. The heat, which had begun to fade from her cheeks, returned tenfold.

'I-w-we're not doing this now?' she asked, her eyes darting about the street to ensure no one had heard the question he'd just asked her.

'Would you want to mate with me again?' he probed and Rukia groaned.

'We're doing this now,' she breathed.

'I think about you-'

'Captain!' she squeaked and rushed forward, grabbing his arm by the haori, 'not here please,' Rukia hissed.

She'd never felt so embarrassed and so mortified. As if feeling bare to the world already wasn't exposing her enough it seemed like he was determined to remind the world of how they'd gotten into this mess with a public display.

'I like you,' Captain Hitsugaya at least had the audacity to lower his voice, 'I like you a lot, Rukia, more than just an Alpha lusting after an Omega. You're beautiful, but strong and daring, kind and compassionate. You demonstrated that with me today, holding your tongue against the retort to Hinamori. I've seen your strength in battle, the way that you and Sode No Shirayuki dance together. I love the way your reiatsu responds to mine,' he raised his hand and Rukia felt it brush the air of her spiritual pressure between them, making her shudder. 'I love the way you speak about others, your commitment to your squad and Captain Ukitake. This is much more than a mission for me, Rukia, this is a dream. A beautiful, snow encased landscape from which I do not wish to wake.'

And Rukia realised, with a painful stab to her chest, he'd just scrubbed himself bare and laid himself down beside her. Eyelashes fluttered against her own cheek as she opened her eyes and gazed up at him. He stood, waiting patiently. The authority still present in his stance but his insecurities swirled in the teal of his beautiful eyes.

'You make me feel…' Rukia bit her lip, the heat in her cheeks must have made her look pathetic. She wasn't even sure where she wanted these words to go, which direction to take them in. She wasn't sure herself what she even felt, 'shy.'

Captain Hitsugaya's face morphed into one of amusement, the anxious lines smoothing out and his cheeky side smirk threatening at the corner of his lips. 'You're not good at this are you?'

'No,' Rukia huffed, folding her arms across her chest, 'I am not.'

'I will resort to my previous questions then,' he chuckled, 'do you find me attractive?'

After his declaration, it was much easier to answer this question.

'Yes, of course I do,' her eyes darted around, but there was no one to see. The two of them were completely alone in the street.

'What about me do you find attractive?' the corner of his lips gave way, pulling into that cheeky side smirk that had Rukia scowling instantly.

'I am not answering that,' she was becoming more mortified by the second.

'We're completely alone out here,' he pointed out, his face still amused, 'you can be honest.'

'Your eyes,' Rukia scowled.

'My eyes?' Toshiro quirked a brow at her, 'that's all?'

'No of course not,' Rukia brought a hand up and covered her face with it, 'I like your white hair, you have nice arms, and a nice jaw.'

'All very platonic stuff there,' he was absolutely teasing her now, but as Rukia looked she could see him flexing his arms under his uniform.

'You have a nice back too,' she said throwing her hands up into the air, 'there, are you satisfied?'

'I don't think you know what platonic means,' the amusement was still evident in his voice, but he seemed to accept her answer.

'You're insufferable,' Rukia stepped past him making her way to the gate but was caught by a strong hand wrapping around her arm. She met those intense teal eyes, shining with silent mirth once more at her expense.

'And what do you feel for me?' he asked.

'I want to punch you in the face right now,' Rukia scowled, 'does that count?'

'Is it an affectionate punch?' Captain Hitsugaya asked. 'Come now, Rukia, I admitted my feelings for you. You're not going to leave me out here alone are you?'

Rukia made a pained noise at the back of her throat, but she could tell from his scent that this was important to him. That this meant a lot, 'I like you. I want to get to know you, but slowly, over time, over several dates.'

It was as much as she could muster and it seemed to be enough. Captain Hitsugaya let go of her arm and Rukia realised she hadn't been the most articulate of Omega's.

'I thought Omega's were meant to be good at discussing their feelings?' he asked.

'It's easier when I know the person,' Rukia sighed, 'I had to have a conversation with Ichigo this morning that was personal. He wanted to tell me what happened with Rangiku. That conversation was easier because I know him. In many ways he's my equal but you're… you're a Captain.'

'What does that mean?' Toshiro was frowning again, trying to comprehend.

Rukia glanced around, trying to summarise her words in her head. 'Ichigo is my friend, when I think of him, I see him like a brother. It makes it easier to have difficult conversations, to open up to him. When I speak to Yukio, I see a timid young man who could be a really good friend. I see a man who could make one of my best friends happy. When I speak to Renji I see my childhood friend, I remember the scrawny boy in rags who's ass I could still kick to this day.'

Captain Hitsugaya's face became more and more amused as he listened to her speak, his composure relaxing further with each word she said. It never crossed her mind that maybe he felt threatened by the other Alphas before, but that must have been the case. He'd been open and honest with her about how he felt regarding each of the other Omega's the night of the date, but Rukia had not returned the favour to him. She'd been closed off and rather cold to him this entire time, it was no wonder the Alpha was doing everything in his power to try and elbow his way into her life.

'But you,' Rukia sighed, 'you're my superior, leagues above my own worth. For the first time I felt… I _feel _out of my depth, shy. You've got to understand, you're the person I relate to the least, and it causes so much anxiety being so out in the open and scared to make a wrong move or do and say the wrong thing.'

Rukia was impressed she'd managed to articulate it all as well as she had.

'Rukia,' Toshiro was closer now and Rukia noticed he'd moved closer, 'I'm glad you told me how you're feeling. It helps me understand.'

She watched as he walked, until he was standing right in front of her, until she had to tilt her chin up to see into his eyes.

'Out of all of the people in this project,' he whispered, Rukia could feel his cool breath brushing across the skin of her cheeks, across her lips. It made her head spin and her legs feel weak. 'You're the person I related to the most.'

'How…' Rukia felt her eyes go wide. He'd dated Kiyone before. He'd been working alongside Rangiku for decades! He'd grown up with Hinamori.

'Because the thing that once separated me from everyone else,' he leaned in close enough that she could count the number of lashes that framed his large teal eyes, could see the way they swirled, how the colour seemed darker at one side of his eye, 'is the one thing that connects me to you.'

Rukia wasn't even listening anymore. She wasn't sure she had any coherent thoughts. He was too close, his breath ghosting places she wanted it to infiltrate and her hormones were going haywire. It was impossible to control herself when he was standing so close.

Then his nose brushed hers and Rukia's legs nearly gave out from under her, but his arm secured around her waist, holding her in place.

'What do you want?' he breathed.

'Kiss me,' Rukia gasped the words like she was gasping for air to starved lungs. Captain Hitsugaya's lips were on hers before she could draw breath. His lips moved and the moment his mouth opened against her own, she gasped his air into her lungs like she was a drug addicted securing her high. Their reiatsu responded, it prickled and wrapped around them, holding her tighter against his body than she ever thought possible. Rukia was sure her legs had stopped working, but he held her firmly in his arms as her hands wrapped around his neck and pressed herself up against him. The rumblings of a content Alpha vibrated through her being and Rukia whined in response. His cold tongue dipped into her mouth, finding hers and the growl in his chest morphed into a groan of longing as the two appendages began to explore each other. When he pulled back Rukia felt dazed, disorientated and she could see her own hormones reflected back in the black pits of his eyes.

It had been unlike any kiss she'd ever had before.

'I'm sorry, but I'm not going to lie,' Rukia said, swallowing thickly and feeling a little braver as she waited for her legs to stop shaking, 'I barely listened to half of what you said before that kiss.'

Toshiro had been running his nose along her jaw in a content way, then began to chuckle against her skin at her words.

'That's good, because I have something to apologise for as well,' Toshiro said stepping back once it was clear she could stand on her own. He smiled sheepishly.

'What?' Rukia asked, blinking in confusion.

Instead of telling her, he took her hand in his, the smooth cool temperature matching her own as he wove their fingers together and pulled her toward the open gate of Kuchiki manor gardens. Standing just inside, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and looking the essence of controlled calm, was her brother.

'You knew he was there?' Rukia pulled her hand free of Toshiro's instantly, feeling an angry heat rising in her cheeks. His apologetic glance was all she got when she fired an appalled look to her brother for eavesdropping on their conversation.

Rukia had been too worked up and emotional to sense her brother's hidden reiatsu, but a Captain like Hitsugaya would have had no issues spotting it.

Turning on the spot, Rukia stomped up the steps toward the Kuchiki manor, calling out angrily.

'I _hate _Alpha's.'

* * *

**Am I evil?  
Yes, yes I am**

**Am I sorry?**

**No, no I am not. **

**As always a massive thank you! I'd appreciate it if you left a little review with your thoughts!**

**Based on previous comments and reviews here and on Ao3, I will be adding another smut scene later and a bit more Momo emotional breakdown :D that's why your comments and reviews are so important, it lets me know what you want to see more of and less of. **

**Also does anyone have any preferences for baby genders? If so I have made a poll!**

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	11. Succumbing

**Sorry this chapter is a day late, hopefully the fact it is 12.5k makes up for it :D **

**As always a massive thanks to Inverse L. Reena, Ice Maiden Olivier, Xiyou-Chan, Dreaming Haven, Harbinger of Kaos and UchihaNaruto247 who all reviewed the last chapter. Your reviews inspire me and keep me writing! **

**BEWARE: This chapter has more smut, for the full uncut version for the story over on Ao3. **

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Tea with her brother and Hitsugaya was an awkward affair.

Made worse by the appearance of Kiyone moments later who delivered paperwork to Rukia along with the message from Captain Ukitake to take the day off and relax. It was clear her Captain had already put two and two together, as Rukia knew he would, but it left her in the situation she was currently in, without any excuse to leave.

'So,' Byakuya started, setting his empty cup down and gesturing to the servants to bring a fresh pot. 'Is there news I should be receiving?' he was looking directly at Rukia. His steely grey eyes travelled from where her hip was touching Hitsugaya's as the Alpha had sit very close beside her, then travelled to the scent patches that she was wearing on her wrists. Rukia tried to hide them in her sleeves but could feel the heat climbing her neck.

She could feel Captain Hitsugaya's reiatsu prickling, as if it were trying to reach out and comfort her, but all it was doing was adding the feeling of unease building in her stomach. Rukia took a deep breath, stealing herself.

'I'm pregnant,' Rukia said. It wasn't such a terrible thing to admit. Her brother was as astute as her Captain, no doubt he'd known all along where this was going and where they'd end up. Confirming her suspicions, her brother nodded his head.

Rukia watched an internal battle unfold itself in her brother's face. It seemed he was trying to hold composure in front of another Captain, but Toshiro simply chuckled, breaking the awkwardness with his deep rumbling laughter.

'I must say you hold your composure well, Captain Kuchiki, I demonstrated a level of affection in front of my colleagues that I probably shouldn't have,' he stated.

'You only hugged me!' Rukia squeaked instantly before her brother could get the wrong idea.

'I believe I swept you up into my arms and made noises that were unbecoming of a Captain,' Toshiro's eyes were soft, crinkled at the corners and Rukia relaxed further. Captain Hitsugaya wasn't here to play the game of ranks. The games Captains often played when in each other's company. Games where they'd show little, to no emotion, try and act stronger, braver, more composed. He was here to show her brother exactly who he was, not layer on the pretence that they felt the need to live by.

Byakuya relaxed just as Rukia had and the expression that had threatened to, broke free, his smile stretching wide over his pale face and his eyes widening. The look made him appear much younger and then his hands were extending as if welcoming a whole room full of people.

'Rukia, that is excellent news. Of course I already gathered that this might have happened, but I wished to get the clarification before I started buying things,' Byakuya said, happiness radiating from his voice.

'Oh,' Rukia ducked her head, 'you don't need to do that,' she mumbled.

'Nonsense,' his eyes were twinkling once again and Toshiro was grinning down at her, 'I already have a list.'

Rukia made a shy noise at the back of her throat, her gaze dropping down to her hands that sat in her lap and only glanced back up when she felt a comforting hand of Toshiro on her lower back. It was still odd for her, to have the icy Captain sitting so close, touching her so casually. He'd already made his mind up, he was content in his decision that he only wanted Rukia and while she found that incredibly hard to fathom, the evidence was undeniable.

'So when the nobles ask me the status of the mother and father,' Byakuya cut back to business. His posture had changed, looking less perturbed in the presence of the other Alpha Captain now, 'what should I tell them?'

'We've not even had a chance to work that out ourselves,' Captain Hitsugaya stepped in, his tone still light and carrying the less formal speech he'd used to relax her brother. 'I'd very much like to ask you officially, to court your sister, assuming she wishes to be courted by me.'

Byakuya had to hide his smile behind his second cup of tea, his eyes flickering to Rukia for her response. Rukia had to wonder, for a second, if the change in her brother had also come about because of Renji?

'I do,' Rukia said, realising a beat too late that it sounded very much like she was agreeing to marry him. She flushed and corrected herself, 'I do, wish to be courted by you.'

Toshiro responded by offering her a blinding grin, this one went beyond his sarcastic side smirk and stretched beautifully across his face, making him look visibly younger too. Rukia could see the hint of the boy he used to be, before he'd grown into the proud and dominant man before her.

'That will make things easier for the noblemen, they'll be pleased you've fulfilled your orders but even more pleased that this has resulted in a potential suitor for you,' Byakuya gave a suffering sigh as if he did not agree with their ways, which Rukia knew was true. Then the chat turned away from them and onto the rest of the project.

'How did young Kurosaki take the news?' Byakuya asked.

'You might want to put that teacup down,' Rukia said with a soft smile, 'because you're not going to believe what's been going on.'

Curiosity piqued, Byakuya did as she suggested while they filled him in on the twins that Rangiku was having. Byakuya wasn't surprised to find that Rangiku was becoming a mother. He was, however, a little shocked to find out it was twins and that Ichigo was the father. Rukia could feel her brother's gaze on her face as Hitsugaya told him the news, but Rukia simply smiled reassuringly. She'd made peace with it and didn't wish for him to worry. They told him about the rest of the results and skirted briefly over the attack that Hinamori directed at Rukia.

'I'm fine,' Rukia grumbled for the third time. She felt like she was being ignored by the two Alpha's while they raged over an attack that was incredibly easy for her to block.

'I will be putting in a complaint,' Byakuya said at once, gesturing his servant to bring a roll of parchment and his brush.

'I will be logging one myself too,' Toshiro said grimly, 'another one.'

Byakuya hummed, clearly understanding the situation quicker than Rukia did. She took the time to reflect on how much trouble an Omega could cause for an Alpha and how unfair the system was that Toshiro had to put up with Hinamori for so long.

'It is likely more will get done about Hinamori following this complaint,' Byakuya said, rolling up his scroll and sealing it once he was done.

Rukia didn't need that to be explained, it was clear he meant that an Omega threatening an Alpha wouldn't be taken seriously. But an Omega threatening another Omega, one who was pregnant with the results of the project and orders given directly by Central 46… yeah that would do it.

'What will happen to her?' Rukia asked, nervous.

'If I were to make an educated guess based on previous experiences, she will simply lose her rank. It is clear she cannot be trusted with it,' Byakuya said with a scoff.

'But if she'd tried to attack Toshiro,' Rukia sighed and the thought sent a protective flare down her being. Perhaps she could empathise a little with what Toshiro had been going through during those moments.

'Nothing would have been done,' Byakuya said clicking his tongue.

'There are a lot of laws,' Toshiro started, taking a sip of his tea, 'within the Seiteitei that I do not agree with. Several of them outdated and misdirected, but I do believe that Head Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake will see changes being made for them.'

Toshiro spoke with the air of a Captain as he said it, his eyes locked onto Byakuya's in a way that made Rukia feel uneasy.

He _knew. _

If her brother picked up on it, he didn't give any indication, however his tone and intonation become substantially more comfortable with Toshiro following this declaration. The Captains finished by talking of placing bets on the genders of the babies.

'There is a betting pool of course,' Byakuya said and Toshiro simply inclined his head to the other Alpha.

'Of course.'

'What gender would you wish for?' Byakuya asked, turning to Rukia who blinked.

'Oh, uh, I don't… I don't care?' she shook her head.

'Neither do I, as long as it's healthy,' Toshiro said, helping himself to another sweet treat that Byakuya had requested for the table.

'I have put my bet down for a girl,' Byakuya stated firmly and Rukia remembered him making his mind up that very morning.

'Then put me down for a boy, that way we have both our avenues covered,' Toshiro chuckled into his tea, his eyes soft and Rukia could feel his gaze on her face as she turned away.

'Rukia, you've barely eaten anything,' Byakuya said, finally noticing that her plate was void of any crumbs.

'I'm not very hungry,' she said. It was true, her stomach was still curling uncomfortably, but she'd eaten enough at breakfast that morning with her brother anyway. Byakuya simply nodded his head, but Captain Hitsugaya began to fuss.

'Are you feeling sick, do you want some water?'

'I'm fine,' Rukia tried to keep the note of annoyance from her voice but judging by her brother's raised eyebrows, she did a very lacklustre job of it. Toshiro didn't seem to mind, he was still looking at her with concern.

The tension was broken by both Rukia and Hitsuaya's soul pagers sounding at the exact same time. Alarmed, Rukia pulled hers from her pocket to see another hacked message.

_The Flying Hollow  
7pm  
Everyone is going to be there, apparently.  
Please go, or Rangiku will burn me.  
\- Yukio_

Rukia couldn't help but laugh. Her giggle overcame her and broke the tension that had been building in her body all morning. She could feel the gaze of the two other Alpha's in the room, but she didn't care.

'Should I be concerned?' Captain Hitsugaya huffed.

'No,' Rukia smirked cheekily up at him. He raised a white eyebrow in her direction, 'Kiyone will heal him, but I'm sure he'll appreciate your concern, Captain.'

Toshiro scowled at her and Rukia giggled harder.

'I meant about you,' he sighed.

'I know,' Rukia shook her head, 'stop worrying, I'm fine.'

He didn't seem convinced.

'Captain Hitsugaya, would you mind if I borrowed my sister for a moment,' Byakuya asked, 'feel free to stay and take a tour of the gardens, you're both welcome to stay here for as long as you wish.

'Of course,' Captain Hitsugaya rose, gave Byakuya a soft bow and turned to Rukia, his expression looked confused and a little sad before he turned to leave.

Rukia sighed, placing her phone back into her pocket and sensing the air of an impending discussion.

'Rukia, let me tell you something about an Alpha with a mate,' Byakuya said fondly. When Rukia glanced at him, his gaze was patient and kind. 'You're going to have to be incredibly mindful of how he's feeling. An Alpha with a mate, will become overbearing and protective. At the very core of a relationship, it is the Omega who holds all the power and influence. An Alpha will give himself over entirely to his mate, while the Omega seems to retain some degree of freedom. You do not become attached as quickly as an Alpha does.

'Perhaps it is also a male trait, but once we have made up our minds, it would take a significant shift in the universe to pry us away. An Omega, it seems, takes a bit longer to become as infatuated, so please remember that whatever you are feeling for him, take that emotion and times it by quite a significant sum and you'll understand how he feels for you in return.'

Rukia absorbed her brothers' words and felt her stomach contort in guilt. She hadn't realised that Alpha's could fall so hard for an Omega so quickly.

'I-I see,' Rukia turned to glance outside, across the gardens to where Captain Hitsugaya stood, examining the elegant, forever blooming, sakura tree.

'I am not saying you need to give yourself over to him, I am not asking that you return his affections, those choices are yours to make. I am simply empathising with him and wishing you to be mindful of his feelings in all this. The declaration I overheard this morning, it is clear where he is and where you are. Be careful with a fragile heart, he may be called the ice Captain, but he's very much smitten with you.'

Rukia could feel her face, hot, could feel a shameful tide pounding against her ears. She hadn't meant to treat the Captain so callously and now looking back on her actions she could understand why it had been taken that way.

'I am sorry, Nii-Sama, I will do better,' Rukia nodded her head.

If Captain Hitsugaya were to be in her life, and in her baby's life, she would need to accept everything her brother had just told her. Rising to her feet, Rukia glanced for dismissal from her brother.

'You may go, you have the manor today as I must return to work,' there was a twinkle in his eye that Rukia didn't quite understand. 'I shall see you both later.'

Rukia bowed as her brother stood and turned to leave, then she made her way out into the gardens and toward the other Captain.

'Your brother seems happier,' Toshiro commented, nodding his head toward the sakura tree, 'there was a period of time, when this tree did not bloom at all.'

Rukia smiled softly, understanding her brother's words a little deeper now. It seemed Captain Hitsugaya was much more in tune with the emotions of others than he'd developed a reputation for.

'He is,' Rukia started, adjusting Sode No Shirayuki on her hip as she watched him. Toshiro gave a small hum, thoughtful then let his gaze fall to Rukia.

'I'm sorry,' she started, her head giving a slight jerk back in the direction of where they'd had tea. 'Yukio makes me laugh, but it's from a place of puerile and nonsensical immaturity more than anything else. I am…' Rukia hesitated, 'I am not _fond _of him the way I am of you.'

Toshiro's lip ticked at the side, threatening the same side smirk that he often wore when in her presence, 'thank you.'

'I'm also not very good at this,' Rukia flickered a finger between them, 'I know I've made that clear already, but it's certainly a point worth reiterating. I will make mistakes, you'll need to be patient with me and tell me exactly when I do or say something wrong.'

Captain Hitsugaya was in her space in an instant, the movement so quick that Rukia was sure he'd used flash step to achieve it. His right arm came up, his fingers grazing her cheek and Rukia sighed at their proximity.

'The fact you said all that, gives me a significant amount of hope for where this could go,' the Captain stated. Rukia felt his slightly cooler fingers slip into her other hand, thumb running across the back of her knuckles.

'G-good,' Rukia felt the heat creeping up her face at how close they were. She was sure her brother had gone off to work, but she was also sure that the nosy servants would be watching them. Captain Hitsugaya didn't seem to care. He leaned in and Rukia responded by tilting her chin up. Their lips met briefly, softly, a cool press of his against hers then he was pulling away, leaving her wanting more.

'Did you have paperwork you needed to get done?' Toshiro asked.

'Don't we all,' Rukia groaned and he laughed affectionately at her before stepping back in the direction of the manor.

Rukia led him through the various rooms, giving him a tour of the grandeur of it all before they settled down to do some paperwork together. For most of the day they worked in silence, and it was only punctuated by the sound of their brushes dipping into the ink pot. On more than one occasion Rukia glanced up to find the Captain unabashedly staring at her, she tried not to act too flustered as she got back to her work but it was difficult. Rukia felt like a teenage girl with a crush, and she was sure he was acting the same way. She'd not seen people act like this since she'd been at Ichigo's school. It was unbecoming of a soldier.

But what if that level of affection had always existed in the Seireitei? Behind closed doors, where the world was locked out, where the responsibilities of being a soldier, Captain or Lieutenant were hung to rest. Rukia had to think of all the times her brother and her had informal discussions, topics rising that didn't necessarily fit with the soldier title and how important they'd been for her. Now she was left wondering if she'd been missing out on a whole world of other affections and joys that came at the end of a long day of duties and chores.

'We better watch our time,' Captain Hitsugaya said eventually, leaning back on his hands and gazing up at the clock in the corner. Rukia glanced up at it and sighed. They'd be expected to go and meet the others soon and Rukia made a face.

'I thought Omega's loved socialising?' Captain Hitsugaya said with a chuckle.

'I do, I just like to get a good load of paperwork done before I do it,' Rukia sighed and he snorted at her.

'Rukia, I have met not a soul who works as hard as you do,' he stood up and offered her his hand, 'come, we can return to paperwork after if we're so inclined.'

The way he said it made it resolutely clear that they _wouldn't _be, but the choice was still present. Rukia took his hand and they made arrangements for Toshiro to pick her up once she was ready so they could walk to the bar together. Rukia resisted asking if this was another date, the twinkle of excitement in his gaze as he kissed her hand goodbye, gave her an answer.

Rukia threw on a black dress this time, wishing to blend in more than stand out. The lace hugged around her shoulders and a strapless bra was worn to complete the final look. Other than showing off her neck and collar bones, the dress was fairly modest, clinging to her frame but stopping loosely around her knees. She didn't feel the need to wear a pair of shorts with this one and waited, rather eagerly, for Captain Hitsugaya to knock on her door this time.

It was a contrast, to how she felt the last time she'd waited on their date, perhaps because she now knew what to expect from him. Punctuality was one thing she expected and he delivered upon.

When Rukia threw the door open, his eyes travelled up and down her body for a second before meeting her gaze, 'You look incredible, Rukia.'

Toshiro spoke with a kind of reverent in his voice that made Rukia flush. He'd put on a clean Captains uniform, the need for Alpha's to dress up wasn't quite the same as it was for Omegas. Rukia didn't mind, she always thought he looked powerful in his uniform.

The night air seemed pliant as they moved through the streets of the Seireitei. Officers on duty were laughing and tossing jokes, the ones who weren't, rushed to meet friends or lovers. There was a new wave of peace that seemed to be settling over the barracks and officers, and though it made Rukia anxious for an impending attack, it also made her sigh with longing. If this kind of peace remained they'd become soft, but also much more at ease with the world.

'What are you thinking about?' Toshiro asked, his voice soft and low.

Rukia felt a smile tug at her lips, their spiritual pressure connecting between them and creating a barrier of cool air to undo the stifling humid air that was trapped in the tighter streets they walked down.

'Just wondering how many others are relaxing tonight with loved ones,' Rukia finally settled.

'Like your brother?' he asked. Rukia spluttered for a second before regaining her composure, in a way, it did seem silly to not include her brother.

'I suppose…' she said, not giving anything away. It was clear Captain Hitsugaya knew of something, but whether his knowledge was partial or full, Rukia didn't wish to enter the conversation and risk exposing her brother's secrets.

Toshiro gave a soft hum of acknowledgment anyway, 'a night like this is for friends and lovers, a night like this is to be enjoyed with company.'

'You're such a romantic,' Rukia chuckled, a little uncomfortable.

'I've been told that a lot recently,' Toshiro admitted proudly and held the door open for her. The Flying Hollow was packed, the noise brash and the scent cutting through their protective little reiatsu bubble, it was certainly a bar that housed Alphas. Though the air was warm, it wasn't unpleasant and Toshiro and Rukia stood, just inside, their eyes scanning the faces of people until they recognised someone at the bar.

'Ichigo!' Rukia called, doing her best to keep any notes of excitement from her voice, for fear she'd upset Captain Hitsugaya again.

'Hey shortie,' Ichigo laughed and then nodded at Toshiro, 'S'up Tosh?'

'It's Captain Hitsugaya,' Toshiro corrected, gritting his teeth. Ichigo ignored him as usual.

'We're sitting at the table at the back, Rangiku already put your orders in, there's a strawberry daiquiri sitting there and a watermelon mojito,' Ichigo said, turning when the barman called for him to put his order in.

Rukia and Toshiro made their way to the booth Ichigo had pointed out, Rukia thinking about all the polite ways she could turn down the drink without tipping people off. When they came into view, Rukia beamed at everyone who was gathered. Rangiku was sitting down in the centre of the booth, where she belonged, an empty space beside her for Ichigo and Kiyone sitting to her right beside Nanao.

As soon as their eyes locked, Rangiku hastily patted Ichigo's seat and Rukia slipped into it, leaving Toshiro to grab an empty seat from another table and swing it around to sit at the other side.

'I'm so sorry,' Rangiku started, with the air of someone who had a speech prepared, 'honestly, he came to me and he was so upset and I didn't know what to do, I had no idea what I could say, I knew what you and my Captain were up too but his pheromones, Rukia, his _pheromones-'_

'Rangiku, it's fine, honestly,' Rukia said with a chuckle, 'I have no right to be upset at anyone for giving into their urges. I proved to myself on that date with Captain Hitsugaya that at its core, biology is a very hard thing to ignore.'

'But I'm really, really sorry,' Rangiku sighed.

'I know, its fine Ran, honestly,' Rukia chuckled, 'congratulations on your news!' Rukia said changing the topic to something a lot more inviting. At once Rangiku's face lit up and she beamed at Rukia.

'Some people are hinting that you slipped away for a private screening yourself?' she asked raising a casual non-alcoholic drink to her lips.

'Maybe…' Rukia could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and Rangiku smirked over her drink.

'It's a non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri.'

'You're amazing.'

'I know.'

When Ichigo reappeared, Rukia slipped out the seat to allow him to sit next to Rangiku and she sat in a chair which Toshiro pulled so close to his own, she'd be as well sitting in his lap. Toshiro had his arm across the back of her chair frame as they all complained heavily about the amount of paperwork the last war had left them. Rukia counted herself lucky, Captain Ukitake was always ready to do some when he was able and Kiyone had always helped Rukia out. Captain Hitsugaya and Nanao had to do all their division's paperwork solo and Rukia grimaced.

'Can I not convince you to stay in the 13th?' Rukia asked Kiyone who chuckled.

'No, sorry, you know I love you guys, but I am ready to help my sister out now,' Kiyone replied then Rukia realised that her blond Alpha was missing.

'Where is Yukio?' she asked.

'He's running late, as per, apparently there was a big thing with his company. He says he'll be here as soon as possible,' Kiyone gave a shrug.

'So, Rukia, you preggers yet?' Ichigo asked and Rukia choked on her drink.

'Come on, I'm the only one here you've yet to tell,' Ichigo rolled his eyes, 'I'm not stupid.'

'Ichigo,' Rukia snapped and Toshiro threw Ichigo a glare that froze his drink.

'Oh thanks, it was getting warm,' Ichigo laughed, then shrugged, 'look its fine. I just wanted to know.'

Rukia chewed the inside of her mouth and sighed, it was true that everyone else knew. Nanao was an astute woman and Rukia had no doubt that the Lieutenant had already figured it out.

'Fine, yes, I am,' Rukia sighed and Nanao beamed happily at her.

'Congratulations, Rukia, is it just the one or…?' Nanao's eyes flickered to Rangiku who simply grinned back.

'Just one,' Rukia confirmed hastily, 'Rangiku is a trooper but I think I'd have died if it were twins.'

'I am beyond excited,' Rangiku said with a fond sigh, 'Ichigo is too, right Ichigo?'

Ichigo looked put on the spot as he licked at his now frozen drink, 'hmm?'

'About the twins?' Rangiku rolled her eyes.

'Oh, yeah sure,' he blinked and Rukia pursed her lips as Ichigo really showed his mental age. Unperturbed Rangiku chattered on about the plans, the things she'd bought and the fact she debating doing an at home bath birth when they were joined by Yukio. The boy did indeed look like he'd just stepped out of an office, his black jacket was tossed over his shoulder, held in place by his hand and his white shirt had been buttoned down. His expression warmed the moment his eyes fell on Kiyone.

Yukio walked over and Kiyone's face lit up the moment she saw him. As casual as if they'd done it a dozen times before, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.

'Sorry I'm late,' Yukio said, pinching one of the dim sum that Kiyone had on her plate while leaning over the back of her chair.

'Yukio, you can take my seat,' Nanao said attempting to stand before Yukio shook his head.

'No way, I'll die before I make a pregnant woman stand for me,' he chuckled then his eyes caught Captain Hitsugaya and his laugh turned into a cough.

'Hello again, Yukio,' Toshiro drawled, taking a cool sip of his drink. Rukia pursed her lips and tried her best not to laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of it all.

'Hey,' Yukio mumbled but his entire demeanour became a lot more sheepish. The last time the two had spent proper time in each other's presence had been when Toshiro had kicked his ass.

'Don't worry,' Kiyone said, patting his hand, 'I'll protect you.'

The group of friends all collectively chuckled, even Yukio who didn't seem put out with an Omega woman offering to protect him despite it going against all the gender stereotypes.

'Are you doing anything tonight?' Kiyone questioned Yukio. The blond was thoughtful for a while, clearly thinking.

'No, why?' he asked.

'Good, because I'm feeling left out,' Kiyone sighed and Rangiku snorted into her drink. Rukia groaned and fired her third seat a look, but the alcohol she'd had was obviously releasing her inhibitions. At this point, Rukia had to just accept that nothing would surprise her anymore, not even Yukio's blatant ignorance to the situation.

'Left out of what?' Yukio asked.

This sparked a further wave of laughter around the table and Captain Hitsugaya turned and engaged Ichigo in loud conversation. The Omega's all simply smirked at each other and remained silent, aware of which conversation they wanted to eavesdrop into.

'All the other Omega's are pregnant,' Kiyone huffed.

Yukio blinked, clearly not intelligent enough for that phrase to sink in, his innocent face scrunching for a moment before recognition dawned on him and the heat began to bleed onto his cheeks. His eyes scanned the group, Nanao, Rangiku and Rukia before coming back to Kiyone.

'Including Momo?' he asked, clearly looking for any excuse to not answer the question.

'No, she'll never get anyone to knock her up unless it's my Captain,' Rangiku interjected and it caused Rukia to growl.

She'd not been aware it was even possible for an Omega to growl and certainly it didn't sound the same as when an Alpha did it, but it was a possessive sound nonetheless. Rangiku beamed at Rukia who spluttered the noise out into a cough that convinced absolutely no one while Yukio stammered.

'We can talk about this later,' he huffed and Kiyone just pouted. Yukio's face softened as he looked at her, and Rukia now understood her brother's words even more. It seemed Kiyone would get her way that evening.

Ichigo had engaged Rangiku in conversation and Rukia felt Toshiro's arm slip off the frame of her chair and around her shoulders.

'Was that growl for me?' he asked, his voice low and seductive and the note of Alpha satisfaction present in the air. Rukia swallowed but tried to maintain her composure.

'Maybe…' she said.

'You know, if I knew you were that possessive,' Toshiro was leaning in now, so no one else could hear him, his lips so close to her ear it made her shiver, 'I'd have let you mark me that morning too.'

Rukia's mind was suddenly so full of images that it caused a shudder to run down her spine and heat pool in her stomach. She was thankful she'd chosen to wear a black dress that wouldn't show wet patches as she could feel the slick starting between her legs.

'Not here,' Rukia whispered urgently to him, her eyes glancing around at everyone else who was engaged in conversation. Her eyes flew back to his, they were low, lidded and she took a deep breath, 'later.'

His eyes went darker, but rather than stay engaged with him, Rukia turned and threw herself into conversation with Nanao. The last thing she needed was to get all hot and bothered and start letting out desperate 'I want to fuck Captain Hitsugaya' vibes.

Nanao was more than willing to explain to Rukia everything she was about to go through, considering the girl was a couple of weeks ahead. Rangiku, Kiyone and Yukio were all actively listening to the discussion too as she explained the morning sickness and cravings and becoming more stern with her Alpha and more protective of her nest.

It truly was fascinating.

The evening continued in good humour and educational discussion, Rukia eavesdropped on Toshiro and Ichigo chatting about the shift in their moods since they now had a pregnant Omega near them. It seemed that Ichigo was a few stages behind Toshiro, who had given up trying to fight his emotions and was just succumbing to them. It was fascinating but it was also clear that some of the members of the party were getting drunk and Rangiku was getting annoyed she couldn't.

'Time to go?' Ichigo laughed, as Rangiku leaned longingly over the table towards Kiyone's drink.

'Good idea,' Rukia agreed, feeling itsy, like she wanted to be on the move. The short conversation she'd had with Captain Hitsugaya had lit a fire inside her, an itch that needed scratching and Rukia longed to be alone with him, considering they'd been in the company of people all day.

They all rose from the table, paid their tabs and left, walking out into the stifling air of the Seireitei. Rukia grumbled uncomfortably. The weather and temperature fluctuated so rapidly, it was like the world of the livings global warming on steroids. Rukia preferred when it was cold and she assumed Toshiro was the same, given the way he tugged uncomfortably at his scarf when they got outside. The pairs began to split off, with Ichigo and Rangiku offering to take Nanao back to her quarters first. Rukia and Toshiro fell in line with each other and as their arms bumped each other's, Rukia felt Toshiro slide his hand into hers and lace their fingers together. The movement felt right and Rukia tried her best to suppress her smile.

'Don't feel like you have to act on what happened earlier,' Toshiro said.

'Huh?' Rukia was pulled from her focus of his hand in hers as she tried to figure out his words.

'I just didn't want you to feel any pressure, it's been a long and emotionally charged day… week… so if you want to take it easy and rest in your nest then that's fine,' Toshiro spoke and Rukia realised that he was giving her an out. He wasn't pushing to come back to her place.

'I think that's why I struggled to sleep last night,' Rukia blurted out.

'What?' Toshiro stopped, tugging her hand and making her stop to.

'I mean, I struggled to sleep last night and I think it was because you weren't present in my nest,' Rukia could feel the heat climbing her cheeks, 'I didn't even think about it until you and Ichigo were talking and it just sort of clicked.'

'I didn't sleep well either,' Toshiro reminded her and his brows furrowed, 'but that's my concern, I don't want you to feel forced into any of this, Rukia.'

'I don't,' she shook her head, 'I am making the choices… but the temperature,' she groaned. The idea of slipping into her nest and getting hot and heavy with each other while the humid air bore down around them, wasn't appealing.

'I think I might be able to help with that, are you up for a small detour?' Toshrio asked. His voice had turned cheeky, playful, the same way it had when he'd been teasing her as they snowboarded together. Rukia watched as the Captain produced one of the soul keys, similar to the one that Renji had used to get into the room with her cell all those years before. They were only given to Lieutenants and Captains, keys programmed to unlock access to specific areas in the Seireitei.

Rukia's curiosity was piqued now. She had the key of her own, but there were limited uses for it inside her own squad, so she was excited to see what wonders Captain Hitsugaya could unlock with his.

'Follow me,' his eyes were sparkling in a playful way and he dropped his hold on her hand. Rukia blinked and he'd disappeared from her view, but she could feel his reishi scattering behind him like a trail of bread crumbs. Wasting no time, Rukia flashed stepped in his direction, following every footfall in the reishi he left behind in the air. Captain Hitsugaya wasn't being rude, leaving her behind, he trusted her own power and speed enough to keep up with his. Smirking to herself, Rukia dug deep and was on his tail in a matter of seconds. The white spikes tilted as he turned to glance at her, his face breaking into a soft smile before turning back and focusing on the path he was leading them.

Rukia's curiosity grew, further still as he led her beyond the barracks of his own division and touched down at the back of a building. It looked like the kind of shady place a human might get murdered, the sight facilitated by the darkened atmosphere of dusk and the lack of social lighting.

'Here,' the Captain chuckled and pressed the key into a small slit beside the door. They heard the lock click and he swung the door open. Rukia's clothes were sticking to her body now, in a way that was incredibly uncomfortable. She ducked inside the building and regretted it at once when she was hit with air much warmer and more humid than the air outside.

It took a second for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, but she still couldn't see anything defined, only shapes. When the Captain located the lights and flicked them on, Rukia blinked at the brightness then glanced around to see where he'd brought her.

The door they'd just walked through, took them directly into the healing baths of his squad. They were larger than the baths in the thirteenth, likely due to the fact the tenth division had more plot available.

The large ceiling was made up of wooden beams, like the underside of ship, crisscrossing in a tight structure to support the stone roof. The baths were separated by slate grey tiles, the rocks chiselled away and sanded down to stop anyone catching a foot or hurting themselves. The look made the room seem darker and colder than the baths she was used too, where the ornate stones were a dusty sand colour.

The entire place would have been much more romantic if the heat wasn't suffocating her.

'You brought me here, for a hot bath,' Rukia looked at him incredulously. Toshiro smirked, that same cheeky side smirk of his and walked over to the water. He place his hand into it and Rukia watched as the surface shimmered and shook, the ripples from where his hand plunged into the water intensifying despite lack of movement, then seemed to move back toward his hand. As Rukia watched him, the very air molecules seemed to cool and Rukia let out a low laugh.

He was adapting the temperature of the element he could control, water.

Rukia wasn't new to this idea. She'd used her own sweat which dewed on the surface of her skin to freeze over and cool herself down, but it always left her looking shiny, like she was made of ice. The effect often freaked people out, but she realised, as she watched Toshiro, that he would likely see it differently.

Without waiting to be told, Rukia dropped down onto a nearby rock and pulled her shoes and socks off. Toshiro rose from the water and began to comb his fingers through the air, cooling it. His skills were unwavering in their ability, their movement daedal. Rukia stopped to double checked that the door had locked behind them.

'There's no cameras, right?' Rukia asked.

'Of course not,' he looked at her incredulously, 'are you saying you've never done this before?'

Rukia felt heat rising in her cheeks. For some reason she didn't want him to think that she was a stickler for the rules, even if she was. She wanted to impress him, challenge him.

'I'm surprised you have,' she muttered instead.

Toshiro tilted his head, watching as Rukia pushed her sweaty hair from her face. His eyes were tender and curious.

'Sometimes I get bored, and like to break a few rules, just for myself. I have a reputation to protect.' Toshiro chuckled at his own joke and Rukia laughed affectionately along with him as he moved toward her.

'What other rules have you broken?' Rukia asked, taking a deep breath as he drew close to her.

'Perhaps,' Toshiro's voice had dropped to a whisper now, 'you should be asking what rules I am _about _to break.' His voice sent a shiver down her spine and his fingers found the zip of her dress, his eyes lidded and questioning as he toyed with it. Rukia answered by reaching up onto her tip toes and capturing his lips. The kiss was slow and lazy, as he pulled he zip down on her dress and Rukia kicked it away with her foot, to where it would less likely get covered in water. She reached up and pushed his haori off his shoulders and Toshiro followed with the rest of his shihakusho. Rukia pulled back to examine his chest and exposed neck and scent glands and licked her lips, hoping tonight would be the night he'd allow her to mark him.

Toshiro's hands found her waist and it took all of Rukia's self-control not to melt into him. His hands were the perfect temperature, icy cold against her skin and made her legs tremble with longing as they travelled up her back and in one swift movement, unclipped her bra.

* * *

**Censored. Full version on Ao3**

* * *

Toshiro hummed sluggishly, his breath still slowly regaining and his arms rubbing soothing circles into her lower back. Rukia wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, but she was partly sure she'd fallen asleep at one point.

'Rukia?' he breathed against her ear, the humour evident in his voice. Rukia grumbled and snuggled against his chest.

'Five more minutes,' she mumbled.

Toshiro simply laughed and then allowed it, wrapping his arms more securely around her and rocking them in the water. The feel of his heartbeat in his chest and the soft sound of the water as it sloshed against the edge of the bath were lulling her back into another sleep.

'We really should go,' he murmured.

'That was the shortest five minutes of my life,' Rukia grumbled, but pulled back from him all the same. There were droplets of water clinging to his eyelashes and the spikes in his hair had drooped with the condensation and sweat. They dunked their bodies in the water and Toshiro got out and went to explore for some spare towels, a fact they hadn't considered at all when they'd climbed in.

Thankfully there were emergency towels stored for when a wayward soul forgot to bring one and Toshiro managed to nab them two and bring them back. When he walked back into the bathing hall, he'd dried most of himself and wrapped his towel around his waist before holding Rukia's out to her. Feeling incredibly lethargic and ready for her nest, Rukia pulled herself out the water and dried as quickly as she could, while he made sure every trace of them was eliminated from the space and restored the hot humid air to the bath by retracting the ice.

Rukia watched him as he dressed from her perch on one of the rocks. She'd just finished putting her boots back on and was looking forward to curling up in her nest with him.

'Did you want me to walk you home… or…' Toshiro's brows furrowed at her as he slipped his haori back on and Rukia frowned.

'I thought you were coming to spend the night in my nest?'

'Was I?' he said it teasingly, but it was clear he was pleased with the situation.

Rukia rolled her eyes at him and reached for the bar to open the fire escape door that they'd just come through.

'Rukia, wait, no-'

Toshiro tried to stop her, but it was too late, Rukia had pushed the bar and the fire alarm sounded loud and shrill in their ears, echoing off the tiled and stone surfaces. She flinched and plugged her hands into her ears keeping the door open with her leg.

'Run!' Toshiro laughed flash stepping to the door and grabbing her arm. The two disappeared into the night and rounded a corner where Toshiro pinned her to a wall. Guards were shouting and heading in the direction of the building and Rukia and Toshiro had to hide their laughter in each other's necks as they stayed hidden from view in the shadows.

'Imagine if we'd been caught,' Rukia giggled.

'I know! I-' Toshiro started.

'Caught doing what?'

Rukia felt her jaw hit the floor. She couldn't believe it.

Momo.

Toshiro's eyes, which had been full of mirth and humour and life, died dull as he stood straight and turned his attention to the other girl.

'Lieutenant, what are you doing here?' his voice was cold like a whip and it lashed across the space between him and Hinamori.

Momo didn't flinch from him, instead her resolve remained unwavering and Rukia realised with a pang that Toshiro had clearly always been this way with her for Hinamori not to be able to tell when he was upset. It made sense. It almost made Rukia pity her… _almost. _

'I came to look for you. I heard the alarm and thought you'd maybe investigate since you weren't at the office. I thought we could maybe talk and-' Hinamori stepped forward and cast the light of a lamp she was holding up. Her eyes went wide as they trained in on their dishevelled appearances and bond marked necks.

'T-Toshiro,' Momo gasped.

'It's Captain Hitsugaya,' he snarled back.

'Why did you bite her? Why did she bite you? I don't understand,' Momo was shaking now, tears welling in her eyes.

'Rukia is my mate,' Toshiro snapped with all the patience of an adrenaline junkie watching paint dry.

'She's pregnant,' Hinamori said, her nostrils flaring, indicating where she'd located that information.

'Captain?'

Rukia turned to see Rangiku and Ichigo, standing close to them, their bodies illuminated by the lights of the street beyond.

'Lieutenant Matsumoto,' Toshiro breathed a sigh of relief, 'can you and Kurosaki escort Rukia back to her place please? I will meet you there, Rukia.'

'I am not leaving you alone,' Rukia started but the look in his eyes was defiant. Her retort lost in her throat. What was about to go down between Toshiro and Momo was the end for them. Rukia understood that Toshiro was protecting his mate and his child, and the only people in the world he'd entrust them too, was his Lieutenant and Kurosaki.

'Of course,' Ichigo's voice was strong, 'c'mon, Rukia.'

Rukia watched as Hinamori began to break down ugly crying.

'Why, why her? Why not me? Am I not good enough for you? Why! I don't understand, please! It's not too late we can-'

'Shut up and listen to me,' the voice cracked like a whip again and silenced Hinamori and Rukia was tugged away by Ichigo, unable to listen to the rest. She was thankful that he'd pulled her away. The Captains rage was unlike anything Rukia had ever witnessed. The angry and distressed Alpha notes in his scent making her freeze with fear but also wanting to stay and try and make him happy.

'Trust me, you don't want to be around for that,' Ichigo breathed.

'How did you two find us?' Rukia asked.

'I couldn't sleep, so I wanted to go out for a walk and of course Ichigo wouldn't let me go alone.' Rangiku started to explain, as they walked in the direction of the 13th division, which thankfully, wasn't too far away. 'We heard an alarm and made our way over to find you. Once I was close enough, it was easy to detect my Captains spiritual pressure, I expect that's how Momo found you both too,' Rangiku finished.

Rukia nodded her head, her mind still far away to where Captain Hitsugaya was dealing with Momo.

'Do you not think there should have been a witness? What if she says he did something to her? What if-' Rukia started.

'We thought about that too, Ichigo told one of the guards to watch from the building,' Rangiku smirked up at Ichigo. Her gaze impressed and Ichigo puffed out his chest, because he couldn't help himself.

'I don't think it will matter, because Rangiku has told me everything about them and it sounds like Kyoraku is well aware of her,' Ichigo said with a sigh, 'but as a fellow Alpha male I know the danger he'd be in if she made one false accusation.'

Rukia flinched at that, and the worry twisted in her gut.

'Don't worry Rukia, the soldiers we told, are loyal to their Captain, I know them. They'd not betray Captain Hitsugaya.' Rangiku assured her.

'Okay,' Rukia sighed.

'Plus, he has Ichigo and I as witnesses to how it started and you too, and all her previous crimes Central 46 will not take any accusation from her seriously,' Rangiku skipped a little as she said it.

Comforted by Rangiku's happiness, Rukia tried to let it quell the anxious feeling in her chest. It felt like Rukia had left a tiny piece of her heart behind and she hated it.

'I just wish I could do something…' Rukia muttered.

She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and glanced up to see Rangiku gazing down at her.

'You can,' she said, 'be there for him when he comes back. Alpha's need comfort just as much as we do,' Rangiku's eyes glinted and she glanced at Rukia's neck.

'Though judging by those hickies,' Ichigo started with his usual teasing note, 'you've already been there for him tonight.'

Rukia punched his arm but otherwise chose to ignore him.

'Why is your hair wet?' Rangiku asked.

'We… we…' Rukia wished she had rain for an excuse but the twinkle in Rangiku's eye suggested the taller Omega had already worked out what had happened.

'He snuck you into the baths didn't he? Oh he MUST like you…' Rangiku laughed, 'to break protocol in his own squad and risk getting _caught. _Rukia I wish you'd come around sooner, the Captain is much more fun when he's with you.'

Rukia chuckled and changed the topic. They conversed and Rangiku told them all the things that Captain Hitsugaya was letting her away with now that she was pregnant and he was "love struck." They rounded the final corner and stepped onto the street that led to the Captain and Lieutenant quarters. Rukia started when she saw her own Captain sitting on her doorstep.

'Captain Ukitake?' she asked, giving the man a low bow.

'Rukia, I am glad you're okay,' he stood up and pulled her into a hug.

Rukia mumbled into his haori, his comforting scent washing over and relaxing the anxious bubbling in the back of her mind. She'd always thought there was crossover between his scent and Captain Hitsugaya's. Ukitake's notes were oddly foresty too, but not so much pine as perhaps birch.

'I got a butterfly from the tenth to say you were being escorted home,' Captain Ukitake said, 'I was reading in bed and got dressed straight away.'

'They sent a butterfly?' Rukia asked with a shaky laugh, 'I can manage home by myself.'

'Rukia,' Captain Ukitake laughed, 'when will you learn how protective everyone is, not of you, but of the load you now carry.'

Rukia sighed into her Captains uniform and stepped back to gaze into his concerned eyes.

'Every single member of squad ten is just as excited and just as concerned for your safety as every single member of the thirteenth.'

'How does everyone know?' Rukia threw her hands up in the air, 'it's meant to be a secret!'

'Oh please,' Rangiku laughed, flicking her hair over her shoulders, 'you underestimate the speed at which gossip flies, Rukia.'

'And this isn't so much gossip,' Ukitake frowned at the word, 'so much as the best news the Seireitei has seen since Byakuya was to be born. Everyone is excited and anxious. Did you not feel the squad ten soldiers follow both you and Rangiku here?'

'Is that what that was?' Ichigo asked glancing over his shoulder.

Rukia sighed and glanced about, she'd felt something prickle at her skin but assumed it was her own concern. She could feel them now, a couple of varying levels of spiritual pressure dotted around the buildings.

'Highly unnecessary since I'm here,' Ichigo snorted crossing his arms and Rukia had to agree with him.

'We're all anxious. Very rarely does a moment this good and joyful happen in the Seireitei without something coming along to diminish its light,' the elderly Captain said.

Rukia let her shoulder slump, she supposed that was true. If that were the case, and a few squad tens had ensured they arrived safely at Rukia's quarters, she had to trust that a lot of them had stayed behind with their Captain too.

'Captain Hitsugaya…' Rukia started and Ukitake shook his head.

'You're to go inside, Rukia, I will escort Master Kurosaki and Lieutenant Matsumoto back to the tenth and check on Captain Hitsugaya.'

'Is it safe to leave Rukia home alone?' Ichigo asked and Rukia rolled her eyes.

'If I'm not safe in my own damn living quarters then where am I?' Rukia grumbled.

'I reckon that some of the squad tens will be here until their Captain returns,' Ukitake spoke over her and addressed the other Alpha.

_Alphas. _

They were so incredibly overbearing and protective. Rukia was a Lieutenant ranked soul reaper. She'd be fine. Ichigo didn't seem convinced, but Ukitake promised the sooner they got Captain Hitsugaya away from Hinamori the sooner Rukia wouldn't need to be alone.

That thought was comforting to Rukia, mostly because part of her seemed to be in physical pain at the separation.

Rukia walked inside and Captain Ukitake sealed her door with a kido spell so advance that Rukia wouldn't be able to leave either. She grumbled and walked into the kitchen to make herself a pot of tea. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep until Captain Hitsugaya was here.

As the teapot boiled, she changed into a slouchy t-shirt she'd bought from the men's pajama section in the world of the living. The fabric extended down her legs, stopping above her knees and slipped down over her shoulder. Rukia grabbed a throw blanket and curled up on the sofa with a book. She'd taken to reading about Omega pregnancies and what to expect, so nothing would come as surprise to her.

There were elements she was looking forward too and elements she wasn't.

About forty minutes later, Rukia felt him.

It was as if her spiritual pressure had been reaching out to his but it was just out of reach. Now as he approached, she felt it, like a spike on her radar.

Rukia ran toward the back door and threw it open, hoping that the Captain's kido hadn't extended to that side too. Of course it had, but that didn't stop Toshiro landing in the garden all the same. He held up a hand and muttered an incantation that Rukia had barely begun to learn and as soon as the barrier was broken she was in his arms.

Toshiro growled comfortingly into her hair, and Rukia's nose found his neck, where she inhaled greedily.

His scent was thick with so many emotions. Distantly the notes of anger were ebbing away, the strands dissolving to relief and joy and amusement.

'Did you miss me?' he murmured.

'More than I'd like to admit,' Rukia sighed.

Toshiro laughed into her hair, swaying them. She realised he had an overnight bag slung on his shoulder and felt the bubble of anxiousness shatter. He'd be staying with her for tonight at least.

'How did it go?' Rukia asked.

The rumble of his growl changed, it became slower, sadder. Rukia responded by clinging to him tighter.

They stayed like that for a while, until he finally turned around and closed the door, being careful to keep one arm wrapped tightly around her waist so she couldn't get too far away from him. 'It's now officially over. I've told Momo I've filed paperwork that will stop her being allowed anywhere near squad ten and thirteen.'

'You'll need a lot of signatures to back that up,' Rukia frowned. A request like that would require a lot of Captain and Lieutenant signatures, then she realised, he'd get them.

Captain Ukitake would sign, Rukia would sign, Rangiku would sign and she had strong reason to believe that Captain Kotetsu, Byakuya, Renji, Head Captain Kyoraku, Lieutenant Ise all would as well.

'I think we'll get more than enough,' Captain Hitsugaya said and Rukia nodded. 'Were you making tea?' he asked and Rukia slipped out from under his arm, catching his hand and tugging him deeper into the kitchen.

'Yes, let me re boil the water,' Rukia went about the kitchen as Toshiro picked up the book that had fallen to the floor. He slipped onto a chair and smiled at the cover.

'I've read this one, it's very informative,' Toshiro said.

'You've finished it?' Rukia felt a little embarrassed. There were a lot of very specific female and Omega anatomy descriptions and diagrams in it. She supposed it was silly to feel sheepish when just a couple of hours before he'd literally had his face buried inside her.

'Yes, I've got a few others I'd recommend too,' he said smiling and accepting the cup of tea.

'I'll need to borrow them,' Rukia sat down beside him and sipped at her own cup.

'I like what you're wearing… is it Kurosaki's?' he asked a slight frown appearing on his face.

'No, I bought it for myself,' Rukia chuckled.

'I like it even more.'

They spoke for a while about what she'd been reading and what parts concerned her most about the pregnancy and changes, until she yawned and Toshiro demanded they make their way to bed. As they walked into her room, her nest felt like a meagre display and she wished she'd taken the time to fuss over it and make it more impressive before bringing him in. Toshiro didn't seem to care. He was fascinated and extremely curious.

The bed contained clothes from a lot of the other Omegas, her Captain and her brother. Most of the clothes had been scented by Kiyone and Toshiro pulled a few articles of clothing from his overnight bag.

'I thought it would be rude not to bring some items for your nest but I didn't have time to grab a lot,' he sighed and began to rub them against his wrist, heightening the scent of himself in the room. Rukia's mouth was watering and her eyes stayed transfixed on the garment in his hands until he handed it over.

Rukia fussed over her nest for a while before they both slipped inside, Toshiro opting to wear nothing more than his boxers.

'Can I tell you something?' Rukia asked, playing with the hem of her sleep shirt.

'Of course,' he pecked the back of her hand, 'anything.'

'When I walked away from you, it felt like half of me had been left behind.'

Toshiro chuckled, 'that's how I've been feeling since our date.'

'You have?' she asked, squirming around to look at him. Byakuya was right, as always, Omegas were a few stages behind their Alphas.

'Yes, but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to put pressure on you. If you were to become my mate I didn't want to scare you off.'

Rukia didn't know how to respond, so she just nuzzled up against him, throwing a leg over his until they became entwined.

'Can I tell you something else?' she asked.

'You don't need to ask,' he chuckled, amusement present in his voice again.

'I don't want to spend another night alone in my nest without you. I can't sleep with you're not here.'

He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief at these words and Rukia felt his body relax under her.

'That suits me just fine,' Toshiro said.

'Good,' Rukia mumbled, half asleep, she yawned, 'goodnight.'

'Goodnight, Rukia.'

Toshiro kissed her forehead and Rukia closed her eyes, letting the comforting scent of him and the steady rhythm of his heart, lull her into sleep.

* * *

**If you've been enjoying this and don't want to wait another 2 weeks I have another Omegaverse Hitsuruki canon set fic called 'Delicate Steps of an Ice Dance' that you could check out. Omegas are rare in that one and Rukia does her best to hide her secret from him. **

**If you want to keep up to date with when I am posting and what I am working on you can find the link to my trello on my homepage, go follow it! Also the link to our fantastically deadly discord server is there too, come chat Bleach fan fictions and ships with us! **

**As always please review... **

**This is the last chapter where we will see Momo and going forward the chapters will have time skips as we near the end of this fic :D **

**Thanks for reading, please review 3 Cookies to everyone who does!**


	12. Pregnancy

**As always a massive shout out to Xiyou-chan, uchihaNaruto247, Dreaming Haven and Ice Maiden Olivier for all your wonderful comments! They keep me motivated and inspired to write :D If you've not already, I suggest checking out some of my other HitsuRuki work if you're enjoying this pairing so far. This is the second to last chapter of this fic... so we'll be saying goodbye to it shortly. **

* * *

The weeks turned to months faster than Rukia would have thought possible. Her days became a blur of daytime drills and paperwork. The routine became painfully mundane after the excitement that the Omega Project had brought to her life, but her life had not simply snapped back to where it had been before.

Though the days were long and often tedious, her evenings were where her routine shattered. No longer returning home to an empty house and nest, the joyous ray of sunlight had been the one constant to remain after the project had completed. Captain Hitsugaya, would hardly describe himself this way, but how his smile turned blinding each time he saw her, and how he couldn't seem to stop himself from touching her or trying to cheer her up… yes, Rukia could confirm, he was pure sunshine.

He wasn't the only thing changing, she reminded herself daily whenever a wave of nausea hit her like a brick, or when she accidently pumped her protruding belly against something.

'Careful, Rukia,' her Captain chided softly when Rukia did just this, against the desk. Rukia winced but scowled at the situation all the same, 'you're carrying a precious load.'

Captain Ukitake always worded it softly like this. He knew he was walking on eggshells. Rukia's tempter was close to the surface most days. Being pregnant had woken an entirely new side of priorities in her. She now had a constant urge to curl up in her nest and to be strapped to Captain Hitsugaya's side like glue as if her body was aware of her fragile state and wished to remain where it was most protected.

Rukia continued her journey around the desk to retrieve the piece of paper that had slipped off the surface and placed it back on the pile. Her eyes flickered over toward the door and then the clock on the far wall.

'He'll be here soon,' Ukitake said softly, answering her unspoken question.

Captain Hitsugaya had taken to visiting at lunch times, just to be closer to her. His need stemmed from the Alpha part of his hormones, wishing to be close and protect his pregnant mate.

Since the night he'd first spent in her nest, it was clear the two were now inseparable and Rukia had noticed the other pairings had achieved a similar state. Yukio now lived with Kiyone in squad four and had brought much of his workload into the Seireitei with him. Between Yukio, Urahara and the 12th division they'd managed to setup an ISP, DP and PCP for broadband that extended down through some cables directly to Urahara's shop, whatever the fuck that all meant.

The blond boy had fast become one of Rukia's friends, even if she didn't understand all his jargon. Rukia was happy that Kiyone was happy, and the two pairings found themselves joined most evenings by Rangiku and Ichigo.

Their relationship was more complicated.

Rangiku and Ichigo seemed to hold no romantic feelings for each other. She complained he was too young and childish and he complained she was loud and boisterous.

They were in fact, perfect replicas of each other.

But Rukia had been rounded on the moment that she vocalised it, and it had annoyed her for the rest of the evening that Captain Hitsugaya had not agreed with her observations out loud, despite agreeing with them behind closed doors.

Apparently there was a time and place.

Rukia clicked her tongue impatiently, a hand resting on her stomach as she visibly glared at the door.

He was now thirty seconds late and she couldn't feel his reiatsu at all.

'Please do not freeze the door again,' Captain Ukitake's voice was ever patient and Rukia sighed, her shoulders slumping.

'Where is he?' she asked the question out loud this time.

'He's obviously been held up by something, I am sure it's important or he would be here,' Captain Ukitake's tone was empathetic and Rukia turned to look at the ancient man. His sickly face had cleared and he'd started to do more work around the division. He wasn't getting better, but according to Captain Kotetsu he seemed to have developed a 'second wind.'

Apparently the project and the thought of children had installed some kind of fight in him, and his condition was elevated by the positivity and optimism that he held for the future. It wasn't unheard of, for an older member of the family to bounce back to life when they were expecting grandchildren or great grandchildren.

Rukia was still doing her best to take most of the work off her Captain, but she hadn't been prepared for the way her body would adapt to being pregnant. She'd been naive enough to think she could continue all her duties without consequences but it felt like all her bodies resources were now being directed toward creating the new life inside her. The only reason Rangiku was surviving was because Captain Hitsugaya let her nap on the couch all day.

Kiyone was pregnant now too, though a few weeks behind everyone else. It was getting clearer and clearer that Yukio was falling for Kiyone the same way that Captain Hitsugaya seemed to be falling for Rukia, though Kiyone was much more open to his advances than Rukia had been in the beginning.

'Sorry I'm late,' a familiar and cool voice swept across the room. Rukia broke from her stupor, scowling at the fact her reiatsu had been directed inward instead of focusing for his arrival. Captain Hitsugaya stood just inside the door, his face beaming and his hair pushed back away from his eyes as it grew more wild and out of control than usual.

'I wish you'd let me cut it,' Rukia chided him, with a click of her tongue. Toshiro closed the door behind him, offering a low bow to Captain Ukitake before walking toward Rukia and handing her the white package in his hands and kissing her cheek.

'You can cut it this weekend,' he promised and Rukia felt a stab of annoyance that he was being so reasonable.

Her hormones wanted a fight.

'Still feeling it, huh?' he commented shyly, his face a perfect mask covering the amusement that twinkled in his eyes.

'Yes,' Rukia clamped her teeth closed. She had no idea why she was gunning for a fight with everyone around her.

'It is hard for a spirit who is a soldier to not be allowed to fight,' Captain Ukitake said wisely as Toshiro took something over toward the older man and put some lunch on the table in front of him too. Captain Ukitake thanked Toshiro with such sincerity that Rukia's non calm retort was lost on her tongue.

She was so frustrated with herself.

'I want to punch a wall,' she mumbled, pulling one of the boxes toward her, 'thank you.'

'It's okay. I'd say I understand but I don't, only you know how you're feeling. However if it would make you feel any better you can punch me?' Toshiro offered, popping a bit of frozen watermelon in his mouth. Rukia watched the frozen fruit enter his mouth and was immediately digging into her own. Since her pregnancy this had become her favourite frozen treat, made even better by Captain Hitsugaya dipping the tips of the frozen blocks into a fine dusting of powdered sugar. Rukia made noises she shouldn't have in front of her Captain and Toshiro's head snapped around in incredulity at her, but Rukia ignored them both in favour of focusing on the sweet treat in her mouth.

'I wouldn't make that noise again,' Toshiro said in a low breath, 'you'll give us old men a heart attack.'

'I wouldn't make any noises if your child didn't enjoy this sweet treat so damn much,' Rukia gave Toshiro a challenging glare, but the other ice wielder didn't rise to the bait, simply pursed his lips in amusement and went back to his lunch.

Captain Ukitake remained respectfully silent and Rukia tried to contain herself as she sat down in her chair and glanced over the previous report she'd been working on.

'Will Byakuya and Renji be joining us this evening?' Toshiro asked.

That evening there were plans for the soon-to-be parents to visit Orihime in the world of the living. She was working the nightshift in the babies ward and would only be on site with three other nurses. They were going to sneak in as spirits so that none of the humans would see them and have a chance to meet some of the babies that Orihime had cared for and some of the premature ones she'd managed to… _miraculously_ save.

The parents trusted her above all other nurses and with Orihime's talents (read: healing abilities) the hospital had never lost a life since she'd started working for them. Orihime assured them it would be easy to get an hour or two alone with the babies.

Rukia was nervous and excited. She was nervous because she worried she wasn't going to be very good, or would make one of them cry, but she would rather get some practice before the real thing came along for her.

'No, I don't think they're coming,' Rukia said with a shake of her head. She'd asked them, but Renji had no interest in practicing with babies, he had every intention of being the cool uncle who would slip Rukia's kid money when they were old enough to pocket it and not eat it and Byakuya had felt uncomfortable holding babies when the parents were unaware.

Captain Hitsugaya had needed some convincing too for that matter, the only reason Rukia had talked him into it was that one of the babies was Tatsuki's little cousin and so he felt better holding him and knowing he was a baby that they had permission to hold.

'That's a pity,' Toshiro shrugged, 'it would be good for the two of them to be more… open.'

'I know,' Rukia nodded her head.

Some of the laws of the Seireitei were being re-written and now the rules didn't seem so hateful toward gay couples. That didn't stop the scrutiny though. Her brother knew that and still wished for his private life to remain private. Byakuya had started to relax around friends, he'd started being more open with Renji in front of Rukia and Captain Hitsugaya since the two were the least judgemental people he could hope to practice his company in front of.

'We need to do shopping first,' Toshiro mused as he started eating his actual lunch, now that he'd finished his watermelon cubes.

'Yes, I'm aware,' Rukia sighed, they had a few baby related purchases they need to get in the world of the living before the baby was born. Byakuya had offered to have it all taken care of, but Rukia was excited, she wanted to be the one to do some of the shopping.

So the plan was to go to the world of the living immediately after they finished work, do said shopping and visit the Kurosaki's clinic where Rukia and Toshiro would get to visit Isshin, Yuzu, Karin, Ichigo and Kon. They'd likely be able to get a few hours' sleep there before heading to the hospital where Orihime worked, in their soul forms. Isshin was already aware and ready for the plan, apparently he was excited to see Rukia again.

'I'm going to have to order another new uniform,' Rukia sighed, gazing down at her stomach which was significantly larger than Nanao's and Kiyone's.

'Another one?' Toshiro frowned but leaned over the desk and gazed down, he could see what she meant, the ties were just barely sitting right and the hakama pants were becoming uncomfortable again.

'I wonder if Uryu would be able to help, actually,' Rukia thought suddenly, remembering the man was handy with a needle and thread. The Seireitei didn't have uniforms for pregnant soldiers, but that man might be able to alter a few hakama pants for the Omega's.

'Let's ask him,' Toshiro nodded his head as he glanced down at the paperwork she'd been doing. He often did this, and though it had weirded Rukia out in the beginning he explained he was simply trying to familiarise himself with every part of her, including her handwriting. Rukia had merely felt self-conscious, but understood what he meant when she started to concentrate on his. His writing was a direct parallel to his character. Slanted and curled, the writing had an air of authority and playfulness behind them.

Rukia's own writing was much more graceful, she'd been taught calligraphy since she'd joined the Kuchiki household and had developed a writing style that was mature, serene and graceful… a writing style that, according to Toshiro, _danced_ across the page. She still didn't understand the fascination that her writing held for him, but Toshiro seemed to be intrigued about every single little thing about her.

They finished their lunch, the chat in the room turning toward politics as Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Ukitake conversed. Rukia's mind was wandering out into the distant sky. The smooth expanse of vivid blue was untroubled by clouds and Rukia rather hoped it was a good sign, as she raised the final piece of frozen watermelon that she'd been saving, to her lips.

It never made it. She started suddenly, and with a gasp, dropped it to the floor.

At once the two Alpha's attentions were on her.

'Rukia!'

'Rukia?'

Toshiro moved over, to where she was sitting back at her desk and Captain Ukitake had stood up, making his way over to their side. Rukia's eyes slid in and out of focus, the strange lurch she'd just experienced happened once more. This time, Rukia was prepared and only a soft gasp made it past her lips.

Toshiro's hands were on her cheeks, guiding her unfocused eyes towards his. There was a deep frown of concentration between his worried eyes as he looked at her.

'Rukia? What is it? Are you okay?' his voice was just an octave off panic and Rukia nodded her head. She felt the gust of relief in his breath caress her face.

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder, as Toshiro's hands dropped from her face. Rukia glanced up at her Captain, his eyes full of concern too.

'It was…' Rukia mumbled and gasped again as another lurch, much more painful and uncomfortable than the one before had been, shifted through her.

She suddenly found she couldn't speak but reached out and took Toshiro's hand, guiding it to her stomach.

'What?' he'd frowned, but his hand went willingly, then Rukia was grabbing her Captain's, which was still on her shoulder and place it just beside Toshiro's. If either of the two men thought this strange, neither of them said anything, both of them waited…

They didn't need to wait long, and both of them gasped at the exact same moment she did. The baby squirmed and kicked out, at the point where their fingers currently were placed. Rukia didn't hold her gasp this time, knowing it wouldn't need an explanation.

'It's kicking,' Captain Ukitake chuckled, a new light alive in his deep dark gaze.

Rukia nodded, wincing as the lively little soul extended its body, then settled once more. Rukia let out a gust of air. It had felt like falling from a height, when your stomach lurched up into your chest, but worse.

'How did it feel?' Captain Ukitake asked, taking his hand away and leaning eagerly toward her.

'Strange,' Rukia laughed, 'that will definitely take some time to get used to.'

Toshiro had not moved his hand away from her stomach, he was as still as a statue, his face a picture of hilarious shock as he stared at Rukia like she was the most interesting thing he'd ever seen in his whole life.

Captain Ukitake met Rukia's questioning glance with a look of endearment. There was a soft, knowing smile on his face and twinkle in his eye. He moved away to give the two of them some privacy.

'Toshiro,' Rukia asked, her voice low so only the two of them could hear. Technically they were still in working hours and she should be addressing him as a Captain, but the title didn't feel appropriate for this particular situation.

Then he was kissing her, and Rukia forgot where she was. Toshiro's lips were cold, much colder than usual, given the frozen watermelon he'd been eating and he gasped his mouth open, Rukia's lips following his lead and her head went dizzy with desire within seconds.

He groaned into her mouth, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her to the edge of the chair. Rukia felt her stomach come between them, the closeness making the baby squirm inside her, but the thrill of longing chased away any feeling of unease.

Rukia realised that he often did this. Anytime Toshiro struggled to vocalise his feelings, he'd simply show her. It had happened a number of times. Several times he'd found her wrapped up in her nest wearing his clothes and tried to explain the electricity that coursed through his body when he saw it, but turned it to action instead, which usually ended up with their clothes tossed onto the bedroom floor.

Rukia pulled back now, her fuzzy brain reminding her where they were and she flushed with embarrassment as she glanced back over toward Ukitake. Her Captain was politely ignoring the situation but with the air of a man who was incredibly exultant with what _wasn't_ happening. Rukia bit her lip, turned back to Toshiro and shook her head.

'We're meant to be working,' she hissed at him, doing her best to keep her voice so low her Captain couldn't hear.

'You're incredible,' Toshiro said, ignoring her comment and putting his forehead against hers. Rukia chuckled, letting her breath ghost across his face and not having the strength to pull back. They stayed like that for a lot longer than Rukia was comfortable with, but she just loved having him close. Toshiro's frosty nature complimented her own, his spiritual pressure seemed to be hugging around her from every angle, doing its best to say what his words could not.

'You need to go back to work,' Rukia chuckled again after a moment. Toshiro pulled back with a snort, his eyes far away and sighed. He knew she was right but Rukia could feel the inner conflict. The further she got along in her pregnancy and the more time they spent together was having an adverse effect on their working relationship. He didn't want to leave her, any more than she wanted him to leave.

'Why don't you page one of your seated officers to bring your paperwork here?' Captain Ukitake said cheerfully.

With the suggestion planted, Toshiro took the Captain's advice and was soon sitting on the floor of the office with his paperwork sprawled around him. Rukia had offered him the desk out of courtesy and received a disbelieving look in return, followed by sharp denial.

As the sun crept down in the sky and Captain Ukitake made them their third cup of tea, Byakuya came by to check on her. It had been a fleeting visit, the Alpha seemed pleased the moment he saw Rukia surrounded by Captain Hitsugaya and Captain Ukitake and didn't dwell for long. He stayed long enough to feel the baby kicking and fled the office quickly after, his voice thick and his works choked as he stated he had to return to his paperwork.

The humid air turned damp, threatening rain as the clock struck their finishing time. The souls filed the paperwork to make the next day's work easier, and Captain Hitsugaya left a small stack in her office. It was clear this working arrangement was going to stick, and Rukia was perfectly okay with that.

Once they'd changed and Rukia gathered up a few spare pairs of hakama pants, they made their way down into the world of the living. The senkaimon opened right beside the Kurosaki family home.

'Are you nervous?' Rukia asked Toshiro as he took her hand and guided her to the door.

'I have spoken with Captain Shiba several times since his departure,' Toshiro chided her softly.

'You're nervous,' Rukia giggled, using her hand to cover her mouth. He fixed her with a childish glare and Rukia did her best not to laugh at him, but it was challenging. They knocked on the door and a pair of enthusiastic feed sounded on the wood from the inside, Yuzu threw the door open.

'THEY WORK!' she shouted happily and Rukia stared at the girl, dumbfounded. Yuzu was almost the same height as Rukia now, with her long dirty blonde hair pinned back away from her face by clips, in a style reminiscent of Orihime's. She wore a pair of strange green tinted lenses that looked like they'd been designed for night vision, but in a less conspicuous manner.

As they watched, Yuzu lifted the glasses off, squinted and put the back on again.

'Are they to help you see us?' Toshiro said smiling softly.

'Yes! Dad ordered them from Urahara, since Karin and Ichigo and he can see you just fine without your gigai's,' Yuzu ushered them in and Rukia stepped in first, followed by Toshiro. 'It's good to see you again!' Yuzu hugged Rukia around the middle, being careful with her stomach and Rukia wrapped her arms around the girl in return.

'You too Yuzu, it's been far too long,' Rukia sighed wistfully.

'You need to come visit more often, even without your gigai,' Yuzu smiled but her words were drowned out as Isshin came bounding down the hall, Karin only just managing to hold him back from throwing himself on Rukia.

'RUKIA!'

'Hello, Isshin,' Rukia laughed heartily as the large man gushed over her.

'You've gotten so big, where have you been? We've been missing you, my third daughter!' something in his words seemed to catch Toshiro who started beside her with a look of indignation on his face.

'And of course, my second son,' Isshin said, being a lot less forgiving with Toshiro than he had with a very pregnant Rukia. Toshiro was pulled up into his arms in a tight embrace while Rukia laughed so hard she thought she might pee. Toshiro squirmed out of his hold attempting to look annoyed but his expression falling somewhere close to amused.

'We just saw you in the Seireitei a couple of months back,' Rukia laughed at him.

'Yes but that was different, I was there on business and I didn't get to speak to either of you,' he beamed at them and winked at Toshiro, nudging him with his elbow, 'got her knocked up eh? That's my man-'

Thankfully the two were saved from their embarrassment by Karin who hit her father over the head with a bat at that exact moment.

'Karin!' Yuzu barked, falling down to check her father's head was okay.

'When I heard that Toshiro was the father, I knew he'd make inappropriate comments, so I had this ready,' Karin tapped the bat threateningly against her open palm of her opposite hand.

'You could have really hurt him,' Yuzu scolded.

'Maybe I'll knock some sense into him instead,' Karin shrugged and tossed the bat to the side, touching the football cap on her head toward the two, 'Rukia, Toshiro, it's good to see you, come in.'

The dark haired twin led the way down the hallway and into the living room. Rukia noticed that the living room looked exactly the same as the last time she'd been to visit. The only things that had changed were a couple of new pictures on the shelves and the faint scent of a candle covering the smell of cleaning polish. Rukia smiled, knowing that Yuzu would have scrubbed the place when she found out they'd had guests coming. The room was warm and inviting, the candle was burning on a shelf beside some family portraits and Rukia gazed at them as Kon leapt up from the couch.

'RUKIA!' he was caught by Captain Hitsugaya's quick reflexes and Rukia would only be lying to herself if she said she wasn't a little turned on by how fast the Captain had just moved.

The way his muscles contracted in his arm as he pulled Kon out of the air and closer to his face, had Rukia's ovaries burning. She had to remind herself she was already pregnant.

'That's not appropriate anymore, Kon,' Toshiro scolded, holding the lion plushie at eye level to his face. Kon squirmed but didn't seem entirely perturbed as he twisted to try and see Rukia.

'I've missed you, Rukia, it's been boring as hell around here without you-' Kon continued his babbling and Rukia smiled and nodded along, trying to look engaged but her eyes still flickered back to Captain Hitsugaya's arm.

Seriously what was wrong with her?

'Where is Ichigo?' Toshiro asked finally, dropping Kon once he knew that Rukia was safe.

'Right here,' a deep voice sounded behind them and Rukia turned around to see her best friend ducking under the door frame and into the room. He smiled at them, his eyes flickering from his father who had an ice pack pressed on his head in the dining area and sweeping around to finally land on Rukia and Toshiro. 'I was just checking in with Orihime for tonight.'

'How is she?' Rukia asked. She hadn't forgotten her friendship with the girl and still wished well for Orihime.

'She's fine, the plan has been set. You two should do what you need to do here and then get some rest,' Ichigo rolled his shoulders and sighed.

'Were the gigai's delivered?' Toshiro asked.

'Yeah they're in my room, I'll go get them,' Ichigo turned around and bounded up the stairs. Rukia couldn't get a read on his emotions. He seemed a little distant, secluded.

'What's wrong?' Captain Hitsugaya asked, noticing the way Rukia had tensed when Ichigo left.

'Something is wrong with him,' she said firmly. Her eyes turned pleadingly toward Toshiro's, 'I think it's because his relationship with Rangiku is having an impact on his friendship with Orihime, can I go and speak with him alone?'

Rukia hurried to get the words out, her eyes trying to portray the emotions she needed to get across. She didn't want Toshiro to feel jealous, but she had to acknowledge her friendship with Ichigo as well. Toshiro swallowed, his eyes darting to the staircase where the substitute soul had just fled and back to Rukia before he nodded, slowly.

Rukia stood up on her tip toes to peck his lips, 'I'll be right back.'

It took her longer than she'd like to get to Ichigo's room, but thankfully he'd only managed to pick up Toshiro's gigai and seemed to be trying to figure out what to do with Rukia's. The model had been created by Urahara to allow safe space for the soul growing inside her, and Ichigo was looking at it as if it were a fragile piece of glass.

'Need a hand?' Rukia asked timidly.

Ichigo started so badly he nearly dropped Toshiro's gigai. Rukia stood giggling in the doorway as a disgruntled Ichigo rolled his eyes and put Toshiro's gigai back on the bed.

'What's the point in me coming up to get them when you just come up anyway?' he chided, but Rukia could tell his frustrations were misdirected.

'Ichigo, what's happening with you and Rangiku and Orihime?' Rukia asked, closing his bedroom door behind them so they weren't overheard.

Ichigo's bedroom hadn't changed much since she'd last been. He had a new chair and on the desk sat a new laptop, but other than that, the space felt exactly the same as the last time she'd seen it. It felt almost… nostalgic.

'Orihime asked me out tonight,' Ichigo sighed, and he shook his head, 'well, she sort of asked if she should bother continuing to pursue me.'

Rukia could tell this wasn't going to be a simple conversation, so instead of standing by the door, she waddled over and sat down on his bed, crossing her legs and letting her arms cradle some of the weight of her stomach. Ichigo gave her space and pulled his desk chair out to sit down, his eyes far away as he gazed out his window.

'What did you say to her?' Rukia asked. She was trying her best to keep any judgement out of her voice. The truth was, Rukia had no idea what was best for him. Only Ichigo could decide that. Rukia was friends with both Rangiku and Orihime and it pained her to think that either party might be hurt, but she was also sad to see Ichigo hurting and confused over this.

'I told her to ask out Uryu,' he sighed and lowered his gaze.

'Is that because of Rangiku, or because you just don't like Orihime in that way?' Rukia prompted.

Ichigo considered his answer before he spoke again, 'a little of both. Mostly I think Uryu will treat Orihime better than I ever could. He cares deeply for her and I know she likes him too. My head is a mess because of these hormones. I don't know if what I am feeling for Rangiku is just because of the…' he jerked his head, 'situation, or…'

'Or if you're starting to develop feelings for her?' Rukia asked.

The unspoken answer wasn't necessary and the silence hung in the room around them as they both collected their thoughts.

'Have you spoken to Rangiku about anything?' she asked.

'Well… Rangiku and I don't do a lot of talking,' Ichigo started, his face growing hot and Rukia snorted her indignation.

'There's more to a relationship than that,' Rukia scowled.

'I know,' Ichigo's grin was playful now and he directed it to Rukia who sighed. She had to keep thinking of Ichigo as a little brother, to save herself from punching him. It wasn't working. She was still gunning for a fight and Ichigo was making it too easy.

'Well, tonight, at the hospital, see if you can get her alone and chat to her about everything. Only the two of you can decide if this is worth pursuing, and maybe take her on a few more dates. That way you can determine if your relationship is purely physical or emotional too.' Rukia gave him the best advice she could and Ichigo smiled at her.

'Thanks, Rukia,' he replied.

'That's what I am here for. Now,' Rukia held a hand up to him, 'help me up.'

Ichigo laughed and stood, taking her hands and pulling her up off the bed and back onto her feet, not letting go until he knew she was steady. Rukia groaned at the mild throbbing in her lower back. She knew that was only going to get worse the closer she got to her due date.

Attempting to get into her gigai was a strange occurrence. The fusion felt incomplete and Rukia stretched her limbs awkwardly as she tried to move. It wasn't as well-worn and as comfortable to her as her usual gigai, but given that she was pregnant, she couldn't use her usual gigai.

They made their way back downstairs where Toshiro flitted to her side in an instant, his face contorted into a look of concern. Rukia smiled reassuringly up at him and leaned into his side, which made him relax. Once she wrestled her way out of his subconscious scenting, Toshiro slipped into his gigai.

They made their arrangements with the family to return for dinner and left to carry out their other tasks. Urahara had promised them to have everything delivered to the Seireitei within the week, and Toshiro and Rukia had a list of requests from Rangiku and Nanao.

Yukio bought Kiyone everything she wanted and more, and he delivered it all himself personally. He'd offered to get the other Omega's everything they needed too, but Rukia wanted to do some shopping.

Toshiro and Rukia walked into one of the main superstores, Toshiro grabbing the shopping cart before Rukia pulled it from his arms. He opened his mouth to protest but watched the way she leaned her weight against it and used it to push forward.

'You can't steer it properly like that,' he chuckled, but Rukia lifted an eyebrow to him and he rolled his eyes, taking a hold of the metal closer to the front to help her steer and guide her. They started at the top of their list.

'Rangiku said this would be everything we'd need,' Rukia gazed down at the list and Toshiro looked up at an aisle where there were shelves and shelves of different bottles and bottle warmers. He stiffened when he spotted the breast pumps.

Rukia watched his ears turning red from behind.

'We should have spoken about this first,' he mumbled.

'Are you seriously being shy? You put a baby inside me… a few times over and now you're being shy?' Rukia rolled her eyes but Toshiro didn't turn to face her, 'get the breast pump. I want you to be able to feed them too but I also want to breast feed for as long as I can.'

'Okay,' Toshiro did as he was told, putting it into the cart and turning around to gather a few spare bottles to hide his red cheeks. Rukia rolled her eyes but she'd be lying if she didn't find it a little endearing.

Next they picked out some pacifiers, the two of them being drawn instantly to a set that featured snowflakes and another set that featured dinosaurs… it was as close to dragons as they were going to get.

'Does it matter the colour?' Toshiro frowned, putting the pale blue snowflake pacifiers down into the cart.

'No, I don't care about the whole gender colour thing,' Rukia shook her head, 'our element is cold, blue is in our blood and even if we have a little girl, she's likely going to have the same spiritual pressure we have…'

'True,' Toshiro rolled his shoulders, but they were mindful to try and pick up some more natural colours following the conversation.

They got bedding, toys, and some formula milk as a backup. They didn't need to purchase anything big as a cot, changing station, high chair had all been bought by Byakuya. They just needed to buy the more personal touches.

After a mild emotional breakdown over the smallest pair of tiny shoes Rukia had ever seen in her life, followed by a fresh wave when she saw the socks that went with them, the two left the store laden with bags. Toshiro carried all the heavy objects and they took everything to Urahara's shop to have sent to the Soul Society as soon as he could.

The weight of everything finally felt like it was starting to settle on her and they returned to the Kurosaki household in time for dinner. Yuzu had cooked so many dishes, with the help of her sister and Ichigo, that Rukia felt double pregnant by the time they were all finished eating. Toshiro kept a comforting arm around the back of her chair, but it just made Rukia want to curl into him and go to sleep.

The simplest of things now seemed to take much more effort than they once did, and Rukia could feel her body craving her nest. Rukia laid her head on Toshiro's shoulder and met Ichigo's gaze from across the table.

'You should probably get some rest since we'll be heading through at like 1am,' Ichigo spoke in a way that suggested they all should rest, but Rukia recognised it was really intended for her.

She hated being pregnant.

She felt weak.

But it wasn't what was best for her, it was what was best for the baby, and right now, baby wanted to sleep. Toshiro rubbed soothing circles into her arm as she nodded her head wearily.

'I've set up the guest room for you, Rukia,' Yuzu said happily, 'it's a bit cramped because it's so small but I hope it will be okay.'

'Thank you, Yuzu,' Rukia said gratefully, smiling at the girl. The chairs scrapped against the old wooden flooring as they stood up. Ichigo, Isshin and Karin started picking up the dirty dishes and so Toshiro followed Rukia as the two were led by Yuzu up the small staircase.

The room was indeed small, the pale yellow walls vivid with the orange glow from the unshaded bulb that hung in the centre of the room. The one small window was jammed open using a pen and the cool breeze dragged fresh air into the clean smelling space. It didn't smell like her nest and her insides contorted with unease.

'I'll stay with you,' Toshiro assured her, obviously catching the way her wrist glands scented the air with apprehension.

'Thank you,' Rukia tried to relax in the sheets as Toshiro lay down beside her. She curled up against him. Toshiro started to hum softly, the way he often did when she was having a particularly bad night of sleep, and Rukia closed her eyes and tried her best to nap.

Her brain became a haze of unfocused thoughts as she drifted close to, but not quite reaching, slumber. She could hear far off movements in the house, people talking, nonsensical thumps, laughter and the deep even breaths of Captain Hitsugaya.

When Rukia was finally roused, she wasn't even sure if she had actually managed to fall asleep or if the time had merely passed in a jumble of incoherent thoughts.

'Rukia,' Toshiro murmured into her hair.

'Timesit?' she mumbled back.

'Nearly one in the morning,' his voice was high, amused, with a note of excitement to it.

''kay,' Rukia tried to sit up, but didn't have the strength and only succeeded in curling closer to Toshiro and trying to sleep again.

His deep rumbling chuckles echoed around the enclosed space. Rather than trying to talk her awake, his arms tightened around her and Toshiro pushed himself up. Rukia made a weak noise of protest, but allowed herself to be moved by him. Her muscles pretended to play along the moment her feet touched the floor but she still leaned against him for support.

'You two up?' Ichigo's voice asked, as the door opened and the light was flicked on. Rukia hissed, turning her eyes away from the light in a childish display and buried her face into Toshiro's side.

'Yes,' Toshiro flicked the light off and Rukia groaned in relief, 'we are, we'll be down in a second.'

'Alright,' Ichigo sounded amused and left the two, Rukia listened to his retreating steps and relaxed.

'Are you okay?' Toshiro asked, large hands rubbing her arms as he took a step back from her.

'No,' Rukia sighed and shook her head, 'I don't like being away from my nest.'

'Me either,' it was hard to see his face in the hazy darkness, but the soft glow of a distant streetlight cast a light across the opposite wall that reflected back on him, so Rukia could at least tell that he was being serious.

'It makes you nervous too?' Rukia asked, unsure.

'Not nervous just… uncomfortable. I feel like I can protect you better there, that no harm will come. Being here surrounded by so many different scents,' he shook his head, 'anyway. Did you forget why we were here?'

'No,' Rukia lied rubbing sleep from her eyes.

'We're here to cuddle some babies, let's not keep them waiting,' Toshiro's voice was excited and Rukia opened her eyes properly to examine his face. The lower light made it difficult, but the happiness was evident in the way his lips curled.

Rukia smiled sheepishly and let herself be led from the room, flinching back from the bright hallway lights. She was woken more by the cold air from the open door as Ichigo ushered them with his finger pressed to his lips.

'Trying not to wake Kon,' he said with a scowl as Rukia and Toshiro stepped out into the empty street. Rukia gulped down lungful's of the fresh evening air, relishing in the cold tinge as the colder nights started to fall around the small town. Ichigo eyed the two ice wielders without their jackets but just shook his head and slipped his own on.

As soon as the door to his house was closed and locked, Ichigo relaxed and led the way down the vacant streets. Toshiro slipped his hand into Rukia's and she rested her side against him as they walked.

Thankfully the hospital wasn't so far away. Rukia started when she saw that the name was Ishida, and was shocked at herself for not making the connection sooner. She knew that Uryu's father ran a hospital but it had never once crossed her mind that it was the same hospital that had employed Orihime.

'I suppose that makes sense, he will have some knowledge of her powers,' Rukia sighed and Ichigo chuckled.

'Yeah, and she couldn't think of better souls to save than children and mothers.'

Ichigo made his way inside, as Toshiro and Rukia were in soul form, it would have looked strange for them all to keep conversing. Just inside the hallway of the hospital, they saw the other souls gathered, Kiyone, Rangiku and Nanao, each of the souls looking as big as Rukia felt but none of them quite as big as Rangiku. Ichigo's body twisted as if he wanted to go to her, but as a nurse walked by, he seemed to remember that no one could see him.

Ichigo didn't have to wait long, before Orihime opened a door and waved to him. The security staff didn't bat an eyelid at the one kid who looked like a relative, and clearly didn't see the other souls who drifted through behind him.

'It's good to see you all,' Orihime said, once the coast was a little clear.

'You too, Orihime,' Rukia said with a smile.

'I've missed you,' Rangiku practically leaned over the girl and Orihime giggled and tried to bat her off.

'You're all looking so good, how are you all feeling?'

They filled Orihime in as they walked to the maternity unit. Rangiku had a lot more pain in her back than any of the others, Kiyone's morning sickness had been the worst, and a lot of the Omega's were now experiencing kicking. Orihime gushed over each minute detail, telling them it was all normal and helping to put their worried minds at ease.

The hospital changed the moment they reached the maternity unit. The cream coloured walls and pale blue tiled flooring that didn't match, gave way to walls of children's artwork and the friendlier faces of nurses who looked like they enjoyed their job. A couple of the nurses looked like they were putting coats on to leave and one even acknowledged Ichigo as he passed by, like they knew him. Rukia considered that Ichigo held presence because of his father and their small family run clinic nearby.

Orihime led them down a hall that was entirely deserted and into a larger room at the back. The lights in this unit were dim, the ward was filled with tanks and as Rukia passed them by, she saw the tiny bodies of the babies sleeping inside. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and so many emotions fluttering through her at the sight of the tiny slumbering faces.

'We're not going to cause them issues are we?' Kiyone asked leaning over the tank of a tiny boy wrapped in a blue blanket, 'haunting them this young and all?'

Ichigo laughed heartily at the Lieutenants joke and Rukia sighed.

'What if someone walks in and sees nothing holding them?' Toshiro asked, and Rukia rather thought that this was a more important question to ask.

'You won't be disturbed,' a voice said from the corner of the room. Collectively the Omega's gasped and turned around. Heart hammering wildly in her chest, like bird wings in a cage, Rukia scolded herself for not spotting the figure earlier.

Uryu stood up, his white lab coat catching the dim unit lighting as he moved forward, 'my father has instructed the staff that Orihime has some important work tonight and isn't to be disturbed. A number of the babies have contracted jaundice and Orihime was waiting until tonight to heal them.'

'They already think there's some kind of magical healing ability about me,' Orihime chuckled guiltily but she set her jaw, looking determined.

'I think it's great that this is where you've chosen to bring your powers, Orihime,' Rangiku said proudly, her tone smug for her friend, 'if I had a power like that, I'd happily spend all my time here.' The red headed Omega glanced longingly around at the babies.

Rukia's eyes were still on Uryu who moved over to the unit doors and closed the small curtains that would allow anyone to see inside.

'Uryu,' Rukia said walking forward and calling the slender man's attention. His pale expression lightened and he touched the tips of his glasses in greeting.

'Hello, Rukia, it is good to see you again, you're looking well,' he complimented and Rukia flushed a little at the compliment.

'Thank you, I was actually hoping to get to speak to you,' she sighed and he blinked in surprise at her tone.

'Oh? What about?'

'I hate to ask…' Rukia shuffled her feet, 'but the uniforms at the Seireitei…'

'Are not fitting Omega's as well as they should these days?' he concluded with a chuckle. Uryu seemed to understand exactly where Rukia was going with her request and nodded his head, 'it's a minor adjustment for me, I should be able to get a few pairs done in a couple of minutes.'

'You're that fast?' Kiyone exclaimed with a start.

'You should see him with a needle and thread,' Ichigo started then shuddered, 'it's terrifying.'

'I shall take that compliment, Kurosaki, and save it for a time when you're less kind to me,' Uryu seemed to be glowing under all the praise and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

'We actually brought a couple of pairs with us,' Rukia started and Uryu nodded his head.

'Leave them with me and I'll get them done and returned to you as soon as possible,' he said. They discussed leaving them with Urahara who was running chores for the Omega's anyway, while Orihime organised everyone in the background.

'Rukia, here's your chair,' Orihime said once the two were finished conversing. She pointed to an old wooden chair that leaned back, decorated with orange and red floral cushions. Doing as she was told, Rukia took her seat in the chair and glanced around the room. Rangiku was holding a tiny baby in a yellow blanket and was cooing softly to it while Ichigo leaned over the back of her chair. Kiyone was currently cuddling the little boy who she'd paid a visit to in another chair and Nanao was sitting beside her, holding another baby boy wrapped in a blue blanket.

'Rukia, this is Yuki,' Orihime said, a twinkle in her eye like she'd planned this out and thought it hilarious. Rukia swallowed and held her arms out as a tiny baby girl in a pink blanket was placed in her arms.

She panicked for a moment, the baby didn't feel like it weighed of anything but air and she had to fight the urge to call this attention to Orihime before remembering that babies were tiny and light and Rukia was a soldier used to swinging a sword around all day.

'Are you okay?' Captain Hitsugaya's cool voice asked, reassuringly from a chair beside hers. Rukia turned to look at him, noticing that he was also holding a baby wrapped in a yellow blanket. It must have been Tatsuki's little cousin, Rukia thought as her eyes swept over the babies sleeping face.

'Yes,' Rukia lied, turning to glance down at the tiny face of the human in her arms. She stared at the tiny eyes, mouth and nose for a while before panicking again. Wasn't she meant to feel something? Was there something wrong with her?

Her eyes swept the room, Rangiku looked overjoyed to the point she was almost in tears and Kiyone and Nanao were grinning and chatting. Orihime was calling her fairies to help her cure the jaundice on two tanks in the corner of the room.

'What's wrong?' Toshiro asked.

Rukia didn't want to own up the fact she wasn't sure what she should be feeling. She'd expected to come here and her body would just react, like it did when she was going into heat. She assumed it would just know what to do, what emotions to feel. Was she overthinking things?

'Rukia?' Toshiro's voice was concerned now and he shifted the baby in his arms so he could reach out to touch her arm.

'What am I meant to be feeling?' Rukia asked him, her voice low and her eyes turning to him, pleadingly.

Toshiro blinked in surprise, taken aback by her response then glanced down at the baby in his arms.

'Awe? Paternal? I don't know, I just came here to ensure I wouldn't accidently freeze a kid to death,' Toshiro said, his joking tone clearly trying to break the tension. It didn't work. Rukia was far too panic stricken for it.

'Is there something wrong with me?' she hissed at him.

Toshiro's brows furrowed as he thought, his large teal eyes, so full of care and concern rose to meet hers. He shook his head.

'No, it's really common for mothers not to feel any kind of maternal instincts until their own baby is born. Don't be so hard on yourself. Instead of trying to feel something, consider this a lesson in cuddling.'

His words helped, and as Rukia turned back to the baby in her arms, she relaxed. It was simply practice, holding the tiny soul and observing the minute details of her face as she slept on. It wasn't a difficult task, but it did little to distract her from her own poisonous thoughts.

'Can I take Yuki back now?' Orihime asked after a while, crouching down and holding her arms out. Rukia handed the baby over without a word and Orihime moved to put her back in the tank. If Orihime had noticed anything strange in Rukia's behaviour, she didn't call it out and Rukia turned her attention toward Toshiro now.

He was grinning down at the bundle in his arms, his finger tracing over the side of the babies face as he held them close. Rukia's heart melted uselessly in her chest. At least if her Omega instincts were broken, her child would have a father who knew what to do… perhaps Toshiro could even teach her.

'Can I take him back now, Captain Hitsugaya?' Orihime asked, smiling softly and holding her arms out. Toshiro sighed longingly and handed the baby over without a fuss, but he looked a little put out by it. Before Rukia could even comprehend what he was doing, he'd stood and made his way over toward Rangiku for a closer inspection of the baby she was holding.

The baby had begun to stir awake and was crying softly as Rangiku did her best to try and calm it down.

'I need to take her through to her mother, she's due a feed,' Orihime said, reaching out to take the baby. Rangiku looked a little put out, just as Toshiro had, but handed the baby over. Orihime left with her and Rangiku and Toshiro began chatting in low voices. Rukia was startled from her thoughts by Ichigo sitting down in the chair beside her.

'Did you feel the magical warmth of parenthood?' he asked with a soft chuckle.

'No,' Rukia sighed, letting her eyes drop to her stomach. Her hands cupped the swollen mass and she felt shame wash over her.

'Me either, but I spoke to my dad about this ages ago, as soon as Rangiku was pregnant,' Ichigo said.

'What did Isshin say?' Rukia was genuinely curious.

'He said it's common, he said not to worry, even after they're born if you don't have a strong attachment to them right away. He said it happens with some parents and that as they babies get a little older, make you laugh, make you smile and show signs of growth that's when some parents start to learn to love them properly,' he shrugged, 'I'm not worried.'

Rukia felt a lot lighter at these words. There were no real expectations on her shoulders and as she gazed around the room and her eyes fell on Toshiro, she knew that the baby would be in safe hands regardless.

'These babies are going to be so loved by everyone. They're going to have parents, a whole division or more who support and adore them, Captains and Lieutenants to train and watch over them, rich family members to spoil them,' Ichigo laughed and Rukia smiled with him.

'Thank you, Ichigo,' Rukia said, genuinely as she reached out and touched his arm. Ichigo smiled down at her.

'Thank you,' he shook his head, 'I spoke to Rangiku as per your advice. We're going to try the dating thing, see how we get on. I want to make her happy.'

Rukia's smile spread across her face, she felt relieved and she recognised that these babies wouldn't just have their parents watching over them and loving them, but a wider family of Alpha and Omega's to be there for them too. Her baby would be just as much a part of Rangiku's family as they would be Nanao's and Kiyone's. The thought helped ease most of her concerns and apprehensions.

'I'm glad. You two would be good for each other,' Rukia nodded her head as Orihime walked back into the room, and stood chatting to Uryu in the corner.

'I suppose now, it's just a waiting game,' Ichigo said with a fond smile.

'I suppose it is,' Rukia's mouth twitched up in an apprehensive smile, but as he eyes flickered across the room, she met the gaze of Captain Hitsugaya. Toshiro winked at her, smiling assuredly. His confidence and sureness elevated the last of her concerns.

It was going to be one more chapter that they'd all be taking together. Just as the project had been, Rukia felt comforted by the fact they were all undergoing this as a team.

But who would give birth first? And what gender would the babies be…

* * *

**Next chapter is the FINAL chapter. One more timeskip, the births the babies... gahhh! What are your final predictions for baby genders? What else would you like to see?**

**As always, my trello link is on my profile, you can see what I am working on, what ship its for and when it's due to be posted! Follow me there for updates! **

**Also remember our discord server family? :D We're getting a lot of readers joining and finding new fan fiction authors to inspire in the server, more stories, more readers, more authors, MORE FUN! Help us revive the Bleach fandom community before the anime returns and count down the journey with us while we wait! (SOON!) **

**Also also, because the anime is returning, we are rewatching the Bleach anime in prep and podcasting it, listen to our community podcast on itunes, google pod, double pod or spotify (and now youtube too!) By Searching for: The Seireitei (A Bleach Podcast). **

**Stay happy and healthy ;) BBEEEEEEEWOOOOOP**


	13. Babies in The Seireitei

**HERE WE GO, THE FINAL CHAPTER! If you've supported this fic at any point by leaving a comment / review I realllllly appreciate it! **

**Final thanks for reviewing the last chapter goes to: ****uchihaNaruto247, Ice Maiden Olivier, Guest and Xiyou. Thank you all SO MUCH! This chapter is for ALL of you!**

* * *

Rukia found it hard to relax in the later part of her pregnancy. She was permanently uncomfortable, she didn't trust the seated officers to do the paperwork and she was getting in the way of everyone each time she tried to help.

Rukia felt like a wounded soldier on the battlefield, like Samwell Tarly from Game of Thrones.

'When does your child plan on making an appearance?' Rukia asked Toshiro moodily over dinner one night. The Captain turned away from her to hide his amused smile and she scowled at his back.

'Do you want me to ask them?' he asked after taking a moment to compose himself. When he turned back to look at her, Rukia could see that twinkle in his teal eyes and she glared at him.

'You put it in me,' Rukia huffed, 'get it out.'

'Believe me, I wish I could. I'm dying to meet them,' Toshiro sighed and put a bowl of steaming broth down in front of her. Rukia's bad mood seemed to evaporate more and more with each bite of a dumpling and each spoonful of tasty liquid.

'What's the pool?' she asked after the hangry monster inside her relaxed.

'It's swung the other way now, since the two divisions started betting as well, the vast majority now seem to think it will be a girl,' Toshiro said.

'Why a girl?' Rukia blinked.

'Because apparently the shorter the temper the mother has, seems to be tied with baby girls,' Toshiro's mouth twitched as he fought a smile, raising his bowl to his lips and slurping the broth. Rukia watched him, struggling with her composure.

'Do you want me to physically hurt you?' she asked, as calmly as she could, 'because I will whack you with my stomach.'

Toshiro choked on his broth as he laughed and Rukia felt a little better for it.

'So I am guessing I am now not deemed big enough for it to be a boy?' Rukia asked.

'No, that's all in your head anyway,' Toshiro pointed his chop sticks at her, 'every pregnant Omega thinks they're bigger than the other, I've heard you all complain about the same thing now.'

Rukia smiled, because she'd heard that too, though in her head she still thought her stomach looked much larger than Nanao's and Kiyone's. She'd heard them both make the same complaint right back at her.

'The only one who can make that complaint is Rangiku, because she is in fact, bigger,' Toshiro ate the second to last dumpling in his bowel, and without saying anything picked his last one up and put it into hers. Rukia smiled sheepishly at him and he winked at her.

He'd started cooking more often and sliding her extra portions, and anytime they went out to eat with friends, Toshiro would casually put extra food on her plate from his. Rukia loved food, it was one of the only good things about being pregnant was being able to eat for two. She seemed to be over the worst of her morning sickness and once she realised that, Rukia started eating everything she could. Toshiro was more than happy to cook, he seemed to take great pride in providing for her and when his food was as good as his sex, who was she to refuse?

Toshiro's head turned to face the door, his lips peeling back in a half snarl that had the hairs on Rukia's body rising, when a knock sounded around the apartment.

The Captain had become so absurdly protective of their entire living space that he regularly growled at the door when visitors arrived. Even when they were expecting them and it was the other Alpha and Omega's from the project. He'd even once growled at Rukia's brother when he'd come to visit.

'A message from the fourth division and Head Captain Kyoraku,' a voice called through the door.

'Stay there,' Toshiro growled at her, Rukia happily stayed where she was. He was in 'Alpha' mode and to go against his orders would only frustrate him… plus she hadn't finished eating.

Toshiro pulled the door open, and Rukia watched his profile as he clamped his mouth shut, likely in a bid to stop himself from growling again. Happily munching on her dumpling, Rukia's ears could just barely pick up their hushed conversation.

'Rangiku has gone into labour, she's arrived at squad four,' the courier said.

'We'll be right there,' Toshiro replied and Rukia heard the squad two messenger depart. Toshiro closed the door and Rukia met his eyes.

'No fair,' Rukia pouted, 'how does she get to go first?'

Toshiro chuckled, his flash step bringing him to her side in a second, he kissed the top of her head, 'finish your dinner, I'll go and grab our things.'

He disappeared from view and Rukia sighed. She finished eating her food and helped herself to a watermelon slice from the fridge too as she waited. Toshiro came back downstairs with a small bag, that Rukia hoped contained snacks and together they departed for squad four. It would take a normal soul half a day to make the journey without flash step, and given Rukia's waddle it would take even longer. So she carried the bag, while Toshiro carried her and the journey only took twenty or so minutes. The Captain in Toshiro was clearly nervous for his Lieutenant. Rukia could smell the anxiety in his scent as he moved. She didn't say anything to reassure him, mostly because the wind was so loud in their ears her words would've got lost in it.

When they touched down outside, a member of squad four ran over to greet them, her eyes shining with excitement.

'Nanao has gone into labour too!' the medial officer announced.

'At the same time?' Toshiro's mouth fell open.

'No, apparently she went into labour this morning but thought her contractions were twinges of annoyance at her mate or something,' the young woman shrugged and Rukia laughed.

'How far along are they?' Toshiro asked the question as he and Rukia were led inside to the waiting room.

'Nanao is six centimetres and Rangiku is about two or three, they're in a shared room with their mates, Captain Kotetsu, Lieutenant Kotetsu and Orihime.'

The waiting room they arrived in had clearly had a makeover. The uncomfortable hard wooden seats had been replaced with a few couches, the old tables looked cleaned and sanded with flowers sitting on them. In the room, a few souls were already gathered, but not as many as Rukia had expected.

'Where is everyone else?' she asked turning to the officer.

'We've all been told not to crowd you,' she smiled sheepishly, 'so this waiting room is only really for people close to the patients or people involved in project.'

She gave them a low bow, asked them to call if they needed her and swept from the room. The only souls left occupying the space, where Isshin, Yoruichi, Yukio and-

'Head Captain?' Rukia asked, spotting the man lounging on one of the comfortable looking sofas. He shifted his hat and glanced up at Rukia with a wide beaming smile. After the pleasant hello's were exchanged, Captain Kyoraku moved over and patted the couch beside him, offering the space to Rukia. Toshiro hovered protectively nearby and Yukio flopped down on the couch opposite, while Isshin moved to lean over Yukio's couch.

'Nanao didn't want me in the room,' he sighed, 'apparently my breathing annoys her.'

'I hear that,' Isshin boomed, laughing heartily, 'Masaki got annoyed at everything I did when she was in labour with Ichigo.'

'Do you think that means it'll be a boy?' Yukio asked, his green eye glinting from under his blond hair.

'Could be,' Isshin rubbed his chin thoughtfully and Rukia smiled.

'I can't understand how you can even be through here,' Toshiro flinched at the Head Captain, 'how do you stand it? Being away from her?'

'Nanao is a tough cookie,' the Head Captain grinned up at Toshiro, 'I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's easy, but I'll go back in for the delivery. She might murder me, but I'll still be there,' he chuckled.

Toshiro still didn't look convinced, Rukia watched as panic seemed to flit across his face and he glanced down at her.

'You won't kick me out the room will you?' Toshiro asked. Rukia took the hand, which had tensed on the fabric of the couch close to her shoulder and kissed the back of his knuckles.

'Depends how loud you breathe,' Rukia teased and Toshiro scowled at her.

Isshin, Yukio and Kyoraku all laughed.

It was insightful for Rukia to be in the waiting room with the male Alpha's, feeling their anxiety grow, how they overcame it with humour, and listened as Isshin told them stories from when Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu were born.

After a couple of hours, Rukia got hungry again and Toshiro revealed that he had, indeed, packed snacks.

'You're the best Alpha,' she practically sobbed as she ate. The compliment was obviously blown out of proportion, but Toshiro glowed all the same. Rukia observed as Yukio became less relaxed, his long body moving from being spread out across the couch to sitting on the edge of it with his leg bouncing, his eye flying up to the clock.

Yukio only relaxed when Kiyone appeared in the room, looking entirely exhausted. His whole body gravitated toward her, and Isshin stood up and offered her his place on the couch.

'Thank you,' she said, sinking down into the seat, looking just as pregnant and tired as Rukia felt. Yukio put an arm around her and let her lean into him as she yawned.

'How's it goin'?' Yukio asked.

'They're both doing well, Nanao is on a very short fuse though,' Kiyone's eyes flickered to the Head Captain, 'I think she's feeling more stressed since you left.'

'Well,' Head Captain Kyoraku stood up and dusted off his uniform, 'that's my cue to go back in. I'll go and get her something to drink first.'

'They're making tea next door, I'm sure you could convince them to part with some,' Kiyone pointed to a wall and the Head Captain touched his sugegasa in thanks and turned to leave them.

'It's not putting you off, is it?' Yukio asked Kiyone. The Omega smiled up at her mate from where she was now nestled in his arms.

'Not at all, it's making me excited, I just don't want to be last,' her eyes slid to Rukia who narrowed her eyes back.

'I'm next,' Rukia almost growled at her. Kiyone laughed back but Rukia prayed that the universe wouldn't be so unkind as to actually let Kiyone go before her.

It was close to nine in the evening, when Rukia was dozing against Toshiro's arms and the two Alpha's were talking about whether they should stay or take their pregnant Omega's home for the night, when they got further news.

'Rangiku has gone into delivery,' a medical officer told them and Isshin hopped around the space in excitement. Captain Ukitake came by to check in and stayed for a while, which helped revive Rukia and make her less sleepy and a few of the medical officers brought them more hot food from the canteen which breathed new life into them.

After an hour, Ichigo stumbled into the room. He was wearing some blue scrubs that looked much too short for him. They were covered with a bit of blood and other fluid, his hair dishevelled, but his eyes were alight and shining.

'Two girls,' he announced happily.

'THAT'S MY BOY!' Isshin pulled Ichigo up into a bone crushing hug that had Ichigo gasping for help. Toshiro went to help free him from Isshin's grip and Ichigo gasped his breath, glaring at his father. Rukia was able to give him a fleeting hug, before scampering back to Toshiro's side and Ichigo accepted a cup of tea from Captain Ukitake while he spoke them through the delivery.

'How did it go?' Kiyone asked eagerly.

'Rangiku is a fighter,' Ichigo shook his head in awe, as he sipped on his tea, 'she was so excited to meet them that it didn't matter how exhausted she was, she just kept pushing. Thankfully once the first arrived, it seemed much easier for the second to appear.'

'That's good,' Kiyone relaxed, 'and neither were breached?'

'Nope,' Ichigo grinned, 'both head first.'

'Do you have names yet?' Yukio asked.

'Masaki,' Ichigo said, his voice slightly thick, 'of course, and we were also thinking Ishi too.'

Ichigo's eyes glanced to his father, who now had proud tears streaming down his face. 'Such beautiful names, my Son, I can't wait to meet them,' Isshin pulled Ichigo in for a tighter hug and Rukia turned to talk with Toshiro to give the two of them a private moment. Rukia knew how much Masaki's death had deeply impacted Ichigo and his family, if naming his daughters after his mother and father was his way of reconciling some of that grief, then Rukia was sure Rangiku would love the names.

'Did you want to name a baby girl, after your sister?' Toshiro asked, offering Rukia a fresh cup of tea. Names hadn't been something they'd spoken about a lot, except to veto each other's ideas.

'I'm not sure,' Rukia frowned, 'I didn't know her very well. I know it would mean a lot to Byakuya but I'm not sure if…' Rukia glanced around to make sure no one overheard them. Toshiro took a step closer to her, his attention focused.

'If what?' he whispered encouragingly.

'If it would drive a wedge between Byakuya and Renji,' Rukia clarified. Understanding dawned on Toshiro's face and he nodded his head.

'You could ask your brother about it?' Toshiro offered.

'I would, if I was desperate for the name,' Rukia shook her head, 'what about naming her after your Granny?'

Toshiro gave her a blank look, 'I'm not naming our daughter, Granny.'

Rukia laughed so hard she nearly peed, and had to flee to the bathroom before she could recover. The little ice baby was pressing against her bladder and seemed to be using it as its own personal target practice for its little kicks. When Rukia emerged from the ladies room, Toshiro was waiting outside, leaning against the wall and looking a little guilty.

'Sorry,' he apologised, but his voice held a note that suggested he wasn't sorry at all.

'No you're not,' Rukia rolled her eyes.

'We were discussing names,' Toshiro said as he fell into pace with her and they walked back toward the waiting room.

'I still like Yuki for a girl,' Rukia smiled at him, 'I think it suits us.'

Toshiro brightened at this and nodded, 'I'd be happy with Yuki.'

'What about a boy?' Rukia asked as she waddled.

'Would you want to go with a variant of Yuki? What about Yukiya?'

'Snowy arrow?' Rukia made a face, 'no thanks.'

'Yukiharu?' Toshiro offered.

'Snowy glory? Really?' Rukia laughed and bit her lip before she needed to waddle back to the bathroom again.

'What about Teruyuki?' Toshiro offered with a grin, Rukia was now convinced he was just playing with her.

'Sounds more like food than a name, which is why it's my favourite so far,' she sighed. It was Toshiro's turn to laugh.

'What about Kazuyuki?' he offered.

Rukia said that name out loud a couple of times, she liked the way it sounded. She also loved the fact it could be shortened to Kazu, the two parts of the name meaning "peace" and "snow" which was exactly what snow brought to them.

'Or Shuto?' Toshiro was obviously thinking really hard, circling through the names in his head, Rukia could tell by the little pucker of concentration between his brows as he gazed at the floor. He walked at her pace, never once rushing her or making her feel like she was being too slow.

'Holly winter?' Rukia made a face, 'feels too… Western-y Christmas-y.'

'Fair,' Toshiro laughed and when they finally made it back to the room it was to see Ichigo about to leave. He clocked them walking back in and his face split into a broad grin.

'If you all wait for just a little while, I'm sure Rangiku will let you come and see the babies for a little bit,' Ichigo said.

'You might want to clarify that with my Lieutenant first, Kurosaki,' Toshiro scolded. Rukia noticed how Toshiro's posture seemed to square and tense when he was facing the substitute and wondered if Toshiro perhaps wasn't over his insecurities regarding Ichigo. Whatever the reason for his shift in demeanour, Rukia loved the way he held himself when he was playing "Captain" and vowed to ask him to bring it to the bedroom with her at some point.

'Yeah,' Ichigo made a face, 'but it's just you guys.'

'I reckon she'll want to keep them all to herself,' Rukia joked and Ichigo laughed.

'I'll go and see if I can convince her,' he ducked out of the room, his glowing face the last image Rukia saw before he was out of sight. As soon as he was gone, Toshiro relaxed, but he still kept close by Rukia's side as she made her way over to the couch and sat down to wait.

Kiyone dozed in Yukio's arms as they all discussed the changes that could be coming to the divisions. Isshin mentioned that he'd been asked to return as a Captain to fill a spot, but wouldn't be moving because of his daughters. He seemed to be convinced that Ichigo might take up a post after his studies though, at least until they could find a strong alternative and to spend more time with his daughters.

Eventually one of the medical officers came to see them and they were permitted to visit Rangiku for twenty minutes, the time being short so mother and family could get their rest. Rukia followed apprehensively behind Toshiro as they made their way into the recovery room.

The room was small. The walls were painted an old pale yellow, contrasting to the newer and whiter tiles on the floor. The centre of the room was dominated by a large hospital bed. The sides of the bed were down and Rangiku was resting back against some pillows, her hair tied back away from her face, she wore a gown which was just barely covering her breasts, allowing enough room for skin to skin contact with the tiny little soul who lay slumbering against her chest. Rangiku glanced up and beamed at them as they walked in. Ichigo was sitting in a chair beside a large clean window, another little bundle in his arms, which held his attention.

'How are you feeling?' Kiyone asked, the moment she saw Rangiku. The strawberry haired Omega gave a weak laugh.

'Indescribable,' she hummed. Isshin stepped forward and kissed the top of Rangiku's head in an affectionate way before his eyes fell onto the tiny soul in her arms. Rukia could just see the small pink cheek pressed against her mother's sternum, her little mouth open and her eyes closed in sleep.

'Well done, Rangiku,' Toshiro nodded. Rukia's gaze flickered to the soft smile that adorned his features as he nodded to the Omega, 'congratulations.'

'Thanks, Captain,' Rangiku beamed at him, 'did you want to have a cuddle?' she asked.

'I hope you mean of the baby, you're not my type, remember,' Toshiro huffed and Rangiku had to stifle her laughter or risk disturbing the tiny soul on her chest.

'Of course,' Rangiku pulled the cover across her daughter and Kiyone was there to help with her gown. Toshiro stepped forward and Rangiku placed the tiny baby into his arms.

'You know he might not give her back,' Kiyone joked.

'He better,' Rangiku chuckled but Rukia watched the look on Toshiro's face and was sure it would be a struggle. His large teal eyes were intently focused on the sleeping form and Isshin stood just over his shoulder.

'What's her name?' Rukia asked, because she didn't want to feel like a spare part.

'That's Ishi,' Rangiku said gesturing to the daughter she'd just given to Toshiro, 'and Ichigo has Masaki.'

Rukia looked back over to Ichigo who looked fairly smitten, but even though Masaki held his attention, his eyes kept flickering over to his other daughter.

After ten minutes or so, Isshin managed to coax Toshiro into letting him hold his granddaughter. The tiny Captain looked unprepared to give her up and hovered close.

'Yukio, we don't bite,' Rangiku laughed and the young blond boy, who had been loitering toward the entrance of the room took a few steps further inside.

'This will be you soon too,' Isshin laughed at him. Yukio's eyes found Kiyone's and the blonde girl grinned at him. Yukio looked a little uncomfortable but Rukia was sure it would be different when it was his own child and his own mate. Yukio wasn't a very social person, Rukia knew that from her limited time spent in his company, but boy would he be a fun father.

'Rukia, do you want to hold Masaki?' Ichigo offered.

His eyes were intently focused on her face, gauging her reaction, Rukia hesitated but ultimately nodded. She couldn't deny such a request from Ichigo. It felt too personal, like he was choosing to share this very private part of himself. Rukia walked over, keeping her hands behind her back so no one would see the way they shook, and slipped them under the tiny body in his arms.

Masaki was so small, she weighed nothing. Rukia felt slightly panicky as she took the baby up into her arms, worried she might drop her, but little Masaki slumbered on.

Rukia relaxed, holding the baby close to her and reached over with her other hand to move the covers away from the baby's head. She had very light hair, so fine it almost looked like she was bald.

'I'm guessing they're both going to have ginger hair then?' Rukia teased, grinning at Ichigo. He grinned back and shrugged his shoulders.

'What's wrong with that?'

'Nothing, just wondering if they are identical or not,' Rukia asked with a smirk.

'We spoke to Captain Kotetsu about that, she and Orihime are with Nanao now, but she's confirmed that they're non identical,' Ichigo said.

'So your ovaries just got excited?' Kiyone asked Rangiku and everyone in the room laughed. Toshiro was hovering close by Rukia now, eager to see the second baby and probably aware his time with them was coming to an end. Rukia relaxed, this wasn't as scary as it had been in the hospital… perhaps it was because this baby was familiar to her.

Even though the babies were so young, Rukia could feel their spiritual pressure. It felt comfortable and familiar, the same friendly destructiveness that Ichigo's reiryoku held, but mixed with the heat of Rangiku's. Holding her seemed less daunting by the second and by the time the medical staff came to ask them to leave, Rukia was reluctant to let the baby go.

'I'll come back again tomorrow,' Isshin said, 'I didn't get a cuddle of Masaki,' he huffed.

'Only because you refused to let Ishi go,' Ichigo rolled his eyes taking his daughter back from his father as he and Rangiku switched. Rukia helped Rangiku put Masaki down on her chest in the same place where Ishi had been when they walked in.

They left the hospital after that. Kiyone decided to stay and Yukio with her, Nanao had still not gone into labour yet and it looked like it could be a long night for the Lieutenant.

'I hope my labour goes as fast as Rangiku's,' Rukia groaned. She'd been reading a lot of books with Toshiro and she knew that labours for first babies could notoriously last for a long time.

'It will take as long as it takes and I will be there every second of it,' Toshiro said comfortingly as he carried her back across the rooftops in the direction of their home. Rukia snuggled into his uniform, taking a deep breath and letting it ebb away any panic and anxiety. She knew she'd have a strong team around her, and two Omega's who had already gone through it to empathise with her.

They'd be alright.

* * *

Nanao's baby was born in the early hours of the next day, when everyone was sleeping. Chikayo was much heavier than Masaki and Ishi who had been 5.5lbs and 5.9lbs respectfully. Baby Ise weighed in at 7.1lbs and Toshiro was keen to go and pay another hospital visit, excited to meet the next new soul, and didn't complain at all when Rukia asked him to pack one of his famous bento boxes for them before she agreed to go.

They made the journey together again, and this time Rangiku was looking much fresher and they even got to see Masaki and Ishi awake. Isshin and Ichigo fought over nappy changing and while they were bickering, Toshiro slipped in and had both babies changed in a matter of minutes.

'I meant to say that your brother and Renji stopped by for a visit,' Rangiku said, turning in bed and grinning at Rukia.

'Did he?' Rukia's mouth fell open. They were all waiting for the medical staff to tell them when they could go and see Nanao.

'Yeah, he made Renji carry all the gifts but they're over there,' Rangiku pointed to the corner where several gifts had been stacked high, all either neutral in colour or containing the colour pink. Rukia smiled, she'd not managed to see her brother over the last couple of days and hoped that the man would come back for a visit. 'He didn't stay for long, just long enough to wish us well before he departed. I think he needed to fill out a report on behalf of Captain Kotetsu for Central 46.'

Rangiku waved her hand, as if the politics of it all bored her, then slid down in her bed and relaxed. Rukia had just opened her mouth to reply when the door to the room opened instead. Nanao was being wheeled in by a beaming Captain Kyoraku.

'Hello folks,' the Head Captain called happily.

Nanao smiled around at them all.

'Nanao! We could have come to see you, what are you doing up and out of bed?' Rangiku fussed over her best friend, but Nanao just rolled her eyes.

'You know I don't like sitting still for that long, I'm fine, no need to worry,' she laughed. In her arms was clutched a tiny bundle of covers, a small arm was sticking up and soft cries could be heard from the baby within.

'Is this her?' Isshin asked, his arms full of Masaki as he stepped forward to peer down at the baby in Nanao's arms.

'Yes, this is baby Chikayo Ise-Kyoraku,' Nanao smiled, 'I'm excited to meet your girls too,' she added to Rangiku.

Isshin crouched down, so Nanao could meet Masaki in his arms and Rangiku joked about swapping babies.

'I wonder why my brother is doing the report,' Rukia asked absently as she yawned from her seat, Toshiro was stood beside her and gave a soft hum as they watched Nanao being introduced to Ishi and Rangiku's declaration that all the girls would be the best of friends growing up.

'It's likely because Captain Kotetsu was exhausted after the two deliveries, and has her own squad to manage still with a pregnant Lieutenant, I reckon that Central 46 would have demanded the reports be completed as a priority, so maybe he offered to do them for her?' Toshiro said.

'That makes sense,' Rukia nodded and pushed herself up from her chair to go and meet baby Chikayo.

'That reminds me, what last name will your babies have?' Toshiro asked Rangiku and Ichigo.

'We thought about that for a while, but ultimately decided to go with Shiba, since the babies will be raised here it could be good for them to carry the name of a noble clan,' Rangiku said, 'we thought about Kurosaki but as much as Ichigo has done for us, he's also caused us a lot of trouble, we weren't sure Central 46 would appreciate it, and my last name is too common.'

'I checked in with the family anyway,' Isshin said with a nod, 'they're happy for the name Shiba to be used and are excited to meet them.'

The talk then turned to Nanao's labour and it was clear that the Omega was being intentionally vague, clearly not wanting to stress Rukia out more than she needed and Rukia was grateful for it. The last thing she needed in the home stretch of her pregnancy was to be put off. It gave Rukia some comfort to see Nanao up and moving around, clearly still her old self and snapping at her mate when he fussed over her.

Rukia managed to get a hold of Ishi and Chikayo before they were asked to leave and just prayed, _prayed_ that her labour would be before Kiyone's.

* * *

Rukia got her wish. Six days later, once the other Omegas and babies were discharged from the hospital, Rukia went into labour.

It started when she and Toshiro were curled up on the sofa, she'd already been nesting a lot more than usual, cleaning things with much more vigour and both of them had noticed the drop in her stomach.

Toshiro had been distracting her with a series of movies he'd gotten from the world of the living about a magical boarding school in the north of Scotland and a powerful dark wizard out to kill a young boy.

They were on the fourth movie and were about twenty minutes in, when she thought Toshiro had peed on the couch. At the exact same time she thought that, Toshiro's nostrils flared and he turned to look at her.

'Rukia?' he asked.

'Hmm? Did you, _oh_-' Rukia had been about to ask him, but felt the gush coming from herself. The Captain threw back the throw that they always used, the wetness was all over Rukia's clothes and the couch under her. Toshiro's nostrils were flaring, taking in the scent, it wasn't the scent of normal liquid from that region of her body, but neither was it pure blood.

That thought had Rukia relaxing, the movie running in the background mostly forgotten as Toshiro sprang to his feet.

'Sorry,' Rukia apologised, feeling really embarrassed, 'I think it's my water.'

'It is,' Toshiro was back in the blink of an eye with a towel and helped her stand up as he cleaned the area. Rukia watched apprehensively, offering to help but he wouldn't let her. Then Rukia felt her first contractions.

'Oh,' she groaned, leaning forward over the swell of her own stomach, the tightening in the muscles sending a spasm of pain through her.

'Rukia?' Toshiro's voice was worried.

'I think, I think we need to go,' Rukia wheezed, one hand on the arm of the sofa and the other clutching her side. Toshiro didn't need to be told again. He managed to gather their packed bags and everything they needed in a few short seconds. They'd had the bag packed for weeks now, with baby's first clothes, nappies, books and extra clothes and underwear for the two of them. Toshiro had the bag on his back and scooped Rukia up into his arms.

'We need to tell my Captain,' Rukia felt panicky. Even with Toshiro's arms wrapped around, and the cold night air brushing her skin as they made their way outside. She felt like this was completely out of her control, a battle she didn't know how to fight.

'I already sent a message to Yukio,' Toshiro replied. Rukia tried to let the calmness of his voice wash over her, and ease her anxiety. 'If anyone can notify all the right people in a short amount of time, it's him.'

Rukia couldn't argue with that, remembering how the boy had managed to hack her phone and send her a message asking her on a date. Now that he was being trusted more by the Soul Society, it was likely he had a soul pager of his own and wouldn't even need to hack anything to get the job done.

As Toshiro carried Rukia from rooftop to rooftop, the moon was their only light source. It beat down on the vast array of buildings, casting the world in an eerie pale blue glow which Rukia found comfort in. She'd always preferred night time and hoped that meant that their baby would want to make its appearance sooner rather than later.

Three times they had to stop on a rooftop, while Rukia had her contractions. Her pale hand clutched at Toshiro's haori, which he'd hastily tossed on before they left. The fabric had slid down his arms and he held Rukia close to him each time she asked that they stop. The tightening was painful, but Rukia had been through much worse, and she found if she focused on Toshiro's face and breathed with him, she could easily get through them.

On their third stop, the two of them felt familiar spiritual pressure gathering, and two in particular making their way toward them. Toshiro's eyes didn't move from her face, even when the figures landed close by.

'Rukia,' Byakuya's voice was laced with concern.

Rukia didn't respond, just kept her grip on Toshiro and her gaze locked on his eyes, the tight spasm in her abdomen eventually eased and she breathed a deeper breath.

'Gone?' Toshiro asked, his eyes finally blinking.

'Gone,' Rukia nodded and then he lifted her back up from where they were crouched on the roof. Rukia turned her head to see her brother. Like Toshiro he looked like he'd dressed in a hurry, his hair not as pristine and well-kept as it usually was and his haori crinkled and tossed over his shoulders. Renji was just behind him, a hand squeezing her brother's shoulder and his eyes on Rukia. Her brother's face was marred by the moonlight, making the lines on his face more pronounced.

'Are you okay?' Byakuya asked, his grey eyes full of concern.

'Oh don't mind me,' Rukia waved her hand, her voice shaky with emotion, 'just having a baby.'

That seemed to break the silence around them. Renji chuckled, Byakuya relaxed and Toshiro smirked down at her.

'Your entire squad is giving you an escort,' Renji commented, his eyes sweeping the rooftops. Rukia groaned and hid herself in Toshiro's haori.

'Can we get there as fast as possible please?' Rukia begged him. She said it only loud enough for the four of them to hear.

'I can take that bag, you'll be able to move more easily,' Byakuya took the large bag from Toshiro's back, freeing the smaller Captain up, and together they all moved at a much quicker pace than they'd been travelling before. Rukia really didn't wish to have an audience when she was feeling so vulnerable.

The Alpha's around her seemed to sense the urgency, or maybe they could smell all kinds of panic on her since she had taken her scent patches off that evening. They moved at a breakneck pace, even burdened with the load and Rukia had to close her eyes to stop her head spinning. It was fine when she was the one using flash step, but being held by someone while they used it, was dizzying. She'd never been so relieved to see a building in all her life when they landed in front of the medical unit of squad four.

'Rukia,' Captain Kotetsu's voice was beside them, and Rukia could feel the woman's cool spiritual pressure reaching out toward hers and Toshiro's. Hyorinmaru was hovering protectively around Rukia, making it difficult to feel anything else, but as Rukia glanced over, she could see Orihime standing beside the doctor and beaming at her.

'How are you feeling Rukia?' Orihime asked, and Rukia felt oddly emotional. With Captain Kotetsu and Orihime nearby, Rukia and her baby were in the safest hands of anyone.

'Nervous,' Rukia answered honestly. The two women smiled at her and then ushered Toshiro through the doors, some of the medical staff parting the red sea, their eager eyes on her form and Rukia turned her head against Toshiro's chest to block their gazes from her sight.

Rukia was taken to the same room where Nanao and Rangiku had been put before giving birth, the bed across the room was entirely empty and Rukia almost wished that Kiyone would go into labour at the same time to give her some company.

'Alright Rukia, we're going to need you to put this gown on,' Orihime held a gown up and Captain Kotetsu waved Renji and Byakuya out of the bed space to close the curtains around the bed.

'I can help you,' Toshiro said and Rukia was thankful, the contractions could start again at any minute and she didn't want to be halfway through getting dressed by herself when they hit. Toshiro stayed with her, as did Orihime, while Captain Kotetsu went to notify Central 46. Rukia had been right, her next contraction hit, before she could get the gown on. She leaned over the bed, her head in her arms this time and groaned, feeling the pain wash over her. Toshiro stood dutifully beside her, rubbing her back and muttering words of encouragement in her ear. The contraction lasted for about a minute then it eased off.

Rukia breathed a sigh and pushed herself up off the bed.

'Well done,' Toshiro said, slipping the gown over her shoulders and helping to tie it at the back. Rukia felt the same relief wash through her that another contraction had been and gone. Orihime's watched bleeped as the girl fidgeted with it.

'I'm going to be timing your contractions,' she said with a smile, while pulling the curtain back. Byakuya hovered protectively close and Rukia could feel that Renji's presence was bothering Toshiro. She supposed it must have been hard for him to have two Alpha's close by when neither were a doctor.

'Can't you do something to stop her pain?' Byakuya asked Orihime. The young girl held up her hands defensively.

'No, I don't want to go taking the pain away from her, the pain helps us determine how close she is and when she's ready to push, we need to know that as well as her cervix dilatation.'

'How do you find that out?' Renji asked, and before Orihime could answer and before Toshiro could growl at them all, Captain Kotetsu was back in the room and displaying her authority.

'Everyone except my medical staff and the mate of the Omega is to wait in the waiting room,' she stated firmly. 'I can't have any stress on my patient.'

Byakuya opened and closed his mouth, like he wanted to pull rank or title so Rukia stepped in.

'Please, Byakuya,' she said his name softly and his eyes flew to her. Steely grey so full of concern, Rukia gave him a sheepish smile, 'I'll be fine. Toshiro will come and get you if anything goes wrong.'

'We won't let anything go wrong,' Orihime promised.

Byakuya seemed to deflate and Renji steered him from the room where they were shown to the very same waiting room that Rukia and Toshiro had been in less than a week before. As soon as the Alpha males were gone, Toshiro relaxed, and Hyorinmaru pulled back a little.

'We don't need you getting stressed either,' Captain Kotetsu nodded toward Toshiro and Rukia realised that the Captain was purposefully supressing her spiritual pressure.

'How did Kyoraku and Kurosaki stand it,' Toshiro huffed, shrugging his shoulders to try and relax his posture.

'Head Captain is so laid back he's horizontal,' Captain Kotetsu smiled, pulling a chair up to the foot of Rukia's bed and sitting down on it, 'Kurosaki is young and inexperienced, his reishi isn't as protective as yours is. I think it may also have something to do with Hyorinmaru being a dragon and the nature of dragons is to protect that which is most precious to them.'

'That is true,' Toshiro said, running a hand down his face. Rukia could still feel Hyorinmaru's reishi in the air, as if to ward everyone away from the room.

'Sode No Shirayuki is very subdued too,' Rukia noticed, now that she was focused on it.

'She's leaving you in charge of this and she likely has great trust in your mate,' Captain Kotetsu said. Shirayuki seemed to hum in agreement somewhere in the back of Rukia's mind. The Captain continued, 'out of all the Omega and Alpha pairings, you two were the ones I was more fearful of. I thought that Hyorinmaru might reject having me in the space.'

That came as a bit of a shock to Rukia, but a quick glance to Toshiro and the flinch that crossed his face, told her that this wasn't news to him.

'He's not happy,' Toshiro stated firmly, 'but he understands you're essential to making sure Rukia is safe and comfortable, so it's on that basis alone.'

'Than I appreciate that,' Captain Kotetsu smiled up at them, Rukia gazed into the Captains brown eyes and felt a comforting hand being placed on her ankle. 'I need to check your cervix dilation, Rukia.'

Rukia took a breath and nodded. The Captain put a plastic glove on, and then lifted the covers down by Rukia's feet, instructing her into position. It felt strange, to feel fingers going up inside of her, somewhere so intimate, but she kept the shocked and horrified look off her face to stop Toshiro fretting over her. They didn't need Hyorinmaru to change his mind.

'You're a lot further on than I thought,' Captain Kotetsu said sitting back and looking a little surprised, 'you're at six centimetres.'

'Already?' Rukia asked. She hadn't anticipated she'd be so far along.

'Very unusual for first time mothers, but maybe the baby is just keen to meet us,' she joked.

'It could still be a bit of time anyway,' Orihime said softly, 'Nanao was at six for hours, we'll only start pushing when you get to ten and your contractions become more frequent and intense.'

'They're going to get more intense?' Rukia asked, feeling slightly uneasy. She already wasn't keen on them.

'Oh yeah,' a voice came from the door.

'I'm sorry Captain, I tried to stop her,' a small Omega medical student was bowing her head. Rangiku was stood in the doorway, her face shining with mirth. She walked through Hyroinmaru's protective bubble like she couldn't feel Toshiro's reishi at all.

'That's okay, Lena,' Captain Kotetsu dismissed her officer as she stood up to greet Rangiku. Rukia was pleased to see her, even if she knew Rangiku would likely tease her.

'They're going to get so much more painful, but that's when you know they're nearly here,' Rangiku said. Toshiro was growling at his Lieutenant, but Rukia felt a thrill of nervous excitement shooting through her. She covered her swollen stomach with a hand and for the first time, felt excited to meet her baby.

Rukia was so focused on this feeling she missed a lot of the bickering between Toshiro and Rangiku.

'Did you show up just to scare her?' he snapped, his reiatsu crackling.

'Now, now,' Rangiku turned to the side and pointed to her back where a small baby was strapped to her, 'you wouldn't go raising your spiritual pressure around a new born would you?'

Hyorinmaru was pulled back at once, but at great cost to Toshiro who was still gritting his teeth. Attentions were drawn back to Rukia the moment she felt her stomach began to prickle with the pain that was becoming so familiar to her. Orihime pressed a button on her watch and called a time out to the doctor, but Rukia tuned them all out as she focused on breathing through the pain.

Toshiro only came back to Rukia's side when he felt the change in her reiatsu. As if the large Ice Dragon was encircling her protectively, Rukia could block everything else out in their little invisible wall of ice and breathe deeply, letting her breaths out in a controlled way. Toshiro was rubbing her back, but his hand was higher than where she needed it to be, without speaking she reached behind her and moved his hand. He instantly retracted it, clearly thinking he'd done something wrong.

'Lower,' Rukia groaned, barely able to focus as she moved his hand to the lower back of her back. His fingers dug deeper into the flesh at the base of her spine and Rukia relaxed, as the contraction started to ease off.

'You okay?' Toshiro asked, his voice full of worry, and Rukia nodded. Orihime gave the times to Captain Kotetsu and the waiting game continued. Rangiku decided to stay for a little while, baby Masaki was fast asleep on her lap and Rukia welcomed the distraction. Rangiku spoke Rukia through a lot of things that even Captain Kotetsu couldn't put into words, despite however many books they'd all read at this point. Rukia started to feel less afraid of what she was going through just from Rangiku's confident energy and a reminder that she'd gone through this herself and had twins.

'If you two have a little boy, I bet one day they'll end up marrying my little Ishi or Masaki,' Rangiku said excitedly, 'and if they're girls they'll be the best of friends.'

'Maybe we should let them decide, their future relationships,' Toshiro grumbled irritably and Rukia huffed out a chuckle. It was nice for her not to be the moody one anymore.

The entire team helped Rukia through several more contractions, with positive words, banter, good discussions and encouraging her to drink some water.

Toshiro's bad mood persisted, but it took a turning point at the exact same time Rukia's contractions changed. The contraction struck at the worst possible moment, while Rukia was lying back in the bed, with Captain Kotetsu's fingers buried deep inside her.

'I think, we're nearly there,' the Doctor said, though she hesitated. Orihime stepped up and replaced the Captain's fingers with her own.

Rukia thought she should care about this, thought she'd feel invaded but she didn't, she was at a point now where she didn't care. She was beyond caring what the doctors did to her, with each hour that past she could feel her energy leaving her. The hours had crept into the evening and she was exhausted. She just wanted this over.

'I think she's at ten,' Orihime said.

Then the pain of contractions hit Rukia, and she could tell, from the onset that this contraction was different.

'Oh,' Rukia's hand reached out to grasp Toshiro, her breathing picked up and she felt her heart skip a beat. The pain started as a tightening of the muscles, but this time it had shifted, instead of her muscles simply feeling bruised, or mild, like the pain of period cramps this time the waves of pain crashed over her as thick and heavy as an angry sea on forgotten rocks.

'Rukia?' Toshiro's voice was fretting, at her ear and panicky.

'It's time,' Rangiku sung, 'I'll go and let your brother and Kiyone know, good luck Rukia!'

Rangiku slipped from the room and it was some of the last words Rukia could register. The pain was so severe and so focused it took all of Rukia's energy not to cry out. Around her she could hear Captain Kotetsu and Orihime moving and converging on her, getting ready and Rukia let her head flop back into the pillows.

'Rukia, it's time to start pushing,' it was Orihime's voice, 'we're going to do it in time with your contractions, they're nearly here.'

Rukia barely heard the words, but the fact that her baby was nearly here had Rukia focusing, had her paying attention.

'Now, Rukia,' the stern voice of Captain Kotetsu stated.

Rukia was almost glad, relieved even, to begin pushing. It was as if her body had been gearing up to a battle and she was on the precipice of it for so long. The wait was worse than the event, at least for the first half.

Toshiro was beside her, his hand clasping hers so she could squeeze it, his breath in her ear and Hyorinmaru's spiritual pressure surrounding them, providing a safe space.

Despite the pain, it felt good to finally be doing something. She was no longer a bystander in the war her body was fighting, she was an active participant and she gave it everything she had, even when the pain shot up and down her body. Even when she was sure she was being ripped open from the bottom up.

'You're doing so well, Rukia, on your next contraction,' Orihime stated confidently. Rukia cracked an eye open, and glanced at them. Captain Kotetu's was hidden between Rukia's legs, but Orihime was standing, gazing down upon the same sight and ready with a towel to be handed the baby as soon as they were here.

'You've got this,' Toshiro said, kissing the side of her temple, 'I'm so proud of you.'

Rukia managed to get a few deep breaths in, managed to push the sweaty hair from her eyes, before her next contraction hit. She didn't need the instruction from the doctors this time, she knew what to do. Toshiro's hand was surely being broken, but the soon-to-be father didn't care. He made no complaints as Rukia squeezed hard, feeling the pressure he returned, and trying her best to channel it down to her stomach as she pushed.

Then the feeling of the baby coming out of her, brought relief and with it, she felt all kinds of other liquidation leave her body. The sound of tiny cries reached her ears and she opened her eyes. Her blurred vision had to be blinked clear, and Toshiro had moved away a little bit to allow Orihime close.

'Congratulations,' Orihime said, her face shining and tears in her eyes, 'it's a boy.'

* * *

Rukia had never been so exhausted in all her life, as she had the few hours following the birth of her son.

Just like Rangiku, his tiny body had been placed almost immediately onto her chest and Rukia and Toshiro were so focused on him, they paid no mind to the doctors who cleaned Rukia up and changed the bedsheets to less bloody and soiled blankets.

'He's perfect,' Toshiro said, his voice thick with emotion, the babies tiny little fingers curled around his index finger.

'He is,' Rukia laughed heartily at the little sleeping boy. His face was pristine, perfectly chubby little cheeks, tiny little noise, tiny little pink lips and his father's thick eyelashes.

'He has your hair, Captain Hitsugaya,' Captain Kotetsu said as she finally pulled the mask off her face and stepped over to see the family.

Rukia started and glanced back, because she was sure she'd memorised every single little thing about his face until the Captain mentioned that. Toshiro was chuckling like he'd already noticed and Rukia checked the baby's head… she thought he was just bald… but there was hair there. It was so fine it was almost invisible and Rukia felt her heart melt uselessly in her chest.

She remembered her brothers' words to Ichigo's hair colour and prayed that it did not extend to Captain Hitsugaya's white. Surely the white was an embodiment of both their spiritual pressure.

'_I also gifted it to him,'_ Sode No Shirayuki murmured happily in her ear. _'Hyorinmaru and I both decided on the eye colour.'_

Rukia started and was glad that Toshiro's attention was taken up with getting something from the bag they'd brought. She hadn't realised that zanpakuto spirits could be involved like that.

'You can do that?' Rukia asked.

Sode No Shirayuki hummed in agreement, _'Toshiro's white hair comes from his spiritual pressure just as I appear as white as snow when you call on me.'_

Rukia was thoughtful on that, _'does this mean our son will have an ice element zanpakuto too?'_

'_Undoubtedly.'_

The reply faded as Toshiro made his way over and pulled the hospital scented blanket off their son. He started to squirm and give a little cry that had Rukia cooing at him. The Alpha replaced it with a pale yellow blanket from home that he'd heavily scented and the baby stopped crying almost instantly.

Rukia couldn't smell him yet, he was still too covered in her scent for her to notice… it balanced it out to her nose so she couldn't smell anything other than Captain Hitsugaya. They'd read that this was common and she wasn't worried, his own scent would start to come through over the next few days.

'He's very unsettled,' Toshiro said, his hand on the back of his sons head as the baby tried to move it.

'Maybe it's time to try breastfeeding,' Orihime said, walking over and gazing down at him, 'if he's moving around like that he's probably looking for it.'

Thankful for Orihime's help, Rukia positioned his head to the breast closest to Captain Hitsugaya, she wanted him to feel as involved in the bonding and experience as he could. After a bit of tempting, and a handy little bit of ice play from the Captain, the little baby soon located Rukia's nipple and latched on, sucking hungrily.

'How does it feel?' Toshiro asked her at once, his voice curious.

'Weird,' Rukia muttered, blinking as she tried to process the feeling, 'but not as weird as everything else… relatively normal compared to everything else I've gone through.'

Toshiro laughed and kissed her head, 'will we get Byakuya in after this?'

'Yeah, probably for the better…'

'Do we have a name?' he asked.

'Kazuyuki,' Rukia grinned, Toshiro's eyes were shining with happiness, his lips pulled back in that cheeky side smirk that she'd grown to adore.

'I love it,' he said.

'You better, you came up with it,' she laughed. Toshiro chuckled heartily and leaned down to kiss her temple once more. He lingered there a little longer and Rukia caught the scent from his wrists, it was overflowing with relief and happiness. The Captain turned his attention to his son, who seemed to have given up suckling in favour of falling asleep. Kissing the top of Kazuyuki's head too, Toshiro straightened and swept from the room.

Rukia tried to make herself as presentable as she could for guests, but knew she was fighting a losing battle. It was past four in the morning and she was exhausted, but knew she'd have to put a brave face on for her brother otherwise he wouldn't leave and let her rest without a fuss.

'Rukia,' his voice was laced with concern the moment he entered the room, his scent coated in the past few hours' anxiety and his reiatsu prickling. Thankfully Hyorinmaru was restful, and Toshiro's cool and calm demeanour was making everyone else relax.

'Hello, Nii-Sama,' Rukia said happily, 'would you like to meet your nephew?'

'A boy,' Byakuya's grey eyes widened as he came to stand by Rukia's side. It felt odd to hand her son over to someone else and she wondered how Rangiku had made it look so easy. He was just so tiny that Rukia was worried about someone else hurting him, when she barely trusted herself with him.

'Kazuyuki Byakuya Hitsugaya-Kuchiki,' Rukia introduced him as her brother scooped him up into his arms, 'born at 6.8lbs.'

'You gave him my name?' Byakuya asked, and Rukia was sure there was moisture in his eyes when he looked at her.

'It seemed fitting,' Rukia shrugged. Byakuya hummed, clearly at a loss for words and went to sit down with the precious load in his arms.

'Where's Renji?' Rukia asked, having expected him to come bounding in after Byakuya.

'He has no tact, so I politely told him to go back home,' Byakuya had a hard edge to his voice and Rukia pursed her lips. She knew how short a fuse her brothers temper could be.

She was also glad that Byakuya could have this moment undisturbed, as he cuddled the next heir to the Kuchiki noble family. Little Kazuyuki slept on, buried in his fathers scented blanket and wrapped in the protective arms of his uncle, and Rukia was able to take a few bites of the food that the medical staff insisted she eat.

Rukia had never craved a McDonalds Burger more than she did in that moment.

'Mother and father need their rest,' Captain Kotetsu said strictly at about half four, and Byakuya gave the baby to Toshiro who hugged him close. Rukia was glad for the doctor's orders, she felt like she'd just done battle with five espada and was looking forward to a few hours' sleep at the very least. Byakuya left, promising to come and see them again later on in the day once he'd slept and informed the elders.

'Where will Kazu sleep,' Rukia wondered, as Captain Hitsugaya climbed up onto the bed beside her, ready to settle down.

'He can sleep in my arms,' he stated firmly.

Little Kazu gave a wide yawn, his lips pulling back and flashing two little dimples at them before he settled back into sleep.

'And I'll sleep right here,' Toshiro murmured into her hair. Rukia sighed, breathing in his scent and letting it wash over her as she finally allowed her exhaustion to catch up.

* * *

The next few days were a blur of seeing everyone. Kazu was introduced to Kiyone and Yukio, Ichigo and Rangiku, Nanao and Head Captain Kyoraku. The little baby seemed to squirm uncomfortably when he got too hot and would cry until he was passed back to either mother or father. He was greedy too, putting on weight much quicker than either of the twins had and making Rukia fall in love with his tiny little chubby cheeks.

Rukia had told Toshiro about Sode No Shirayuki's gift and the two were eager for their son's eyes to change from the pale blue that new-borns were born with. They watched over the weeks as his eyes gradually darkened, until they seemed to settle on a colour much closer to Rukia's purple but with a deep rich blue hue that was entirely his own… it was like looking up at the evening sky just before the sun was about to set.

Rukia had dressed Kazu in cute green dinosaur onesie that they'd been gifted from Isshin, Yuzu and Karin when they got the notification telling them that Kiyone had gone into labour.

'Should we go to the hospital?' Rukia asked excitedly, as Toshiro slipped into the nest and began to ruthlessly tickle his son.

'It's going to be a few hours yet, she's probably going to give birth very early morning like you did,' Toshiro reminded her.

Rukia nodded, she didn't want to disturb Kazu when he had just been fed and was settling down to sleep.

Well…

'He's going to be wide awake if you keep that up,' Rukia scolded Toshiro who was laughing heartily at his sons giggles.

'Then I'll stay up with him and play,' Toshiro looked up at Rukia as if she were the killer of joys and Rukia rolled her eyes.

Kazu tried to roll himself over, and Toshiro helped him onto his front, his little white tuft of hair sticking up at the back as he gazed up at his father. He proceeded to shake his limbs and Toshiro laughed at him.

'You're too funny,' Toshiro chuckled, rubbing the baby's back and watching as Kazu made faces up at him.

'Wonder who he gets that from,' Rukia chuckled.

'Clearly it isn't Byakuya,' Toshiro mumbled and Rukia laughed and hit him with a pillow.

'Now who's keeping people up?' Toshiro scolded her, pulling Kazu safely into his arms and away from the violent attack of his mother.

'You started it,' Rukia frowned at him, holding her pillow up to deflect one of his blows as he tried to get her back.

'I did not, blatant lies, lies in front of your son,' Toshiro gasped and Rukia scowled at him, deflecting his blows.

'I can't hit you, while you're holding Kazu,' Rukia glared at him and a wicked grin split across his face, he kept Kazu close against his chest with one arm, his son clearly transfixed by his fathers uncovered scent gland that he refused to look at anything else happening around them.

'I should think not, first you'd lie in front of him, and then try and hit him?' Toshiro continued to tease her and Rukia snarled. When his pillow made contact with Rukia's own, she froze it in place so as Toshiro's hand made to pull it back, his fingers slipped off. There was a second where his teal eyes went wide, like he couldn't believe Rukia had just done that, before Rukia had him pinned _gently _to the bedcovers underneath.

'I'll take that,' Rukia said, plucking her son from his chest and holding him close in her arms. His dark eyes shined up at his mother in wonder, his chubby little fist curling into the fabric of her sleepshirt.

'Shocking,' Toshiro shook his head, 'I call foul play.'

'Let me check with the referee,' Rukia made a face, 'she said it was fine.'

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Sode No Shirayuki was giggling at the joke and the party ended when Kazu yawned and rubbed at his eyes.

'Time for sleep,' Toshiro said firmly, 'in the morning you'll have a new friend, Kazuyuki.'

'Do you think it will be a little boy or girl?' Rukia asked excited.

'Well if it's another girl, I'll feel sorry for Kazu, so my bet has been on a boy,' Toshiro laughed, 'I'm hoping to win enough money to get you that limited edition Chappy you want so badly for your Christmas.'

'All my Chappies go to Kazu now,' Rukia laughed as she turned around and settled down, her son lying between the two of them as he always did.

'So you say, but he's not even old enough to know what they are yet, he just knows they smell like mum,' Toshiro laughed as he flicked the light off and rolled back into the centre of the nest. Kazu was already asleep, his deep breaths even and his eyelids a beautiful shade of pink. Rukia smiled down at him, ignoring Toshiro's comment in favour of watching her son sleep. His limbs were sprawled in a way that only a baby could find comfortable, his eyelashes thick black and fluttering and the tuft of white hair still sticking charmingly up at one side.

'He's so perfect,' Rukia sighed in content, running the tip of her finger down her sons face and across his chin.

'Of course he is,' Toshiro snorted, leaning over the baby to give her a quick peck on the lips, 'he looks like you.'

Rukia rolled her eyes but felt the heat creeping up her face and was glad that the lights were off.

'Goodnight, Toshiro,' she said instead, 'I love you.'

From the other side of her son, Toshiro gave a breathy laugh, 'I love you too.'

* * *

Kazu woke Rukia up early the next morning, about four in the morning with his soft little cries. She pulled him into her arms and breast fed him until he fell back asleep, but as she did that, she was texting Yukio. The boy was keeping the group chat updated with Kiyone, it seemed to be a long labour and she was still only at five centimetres dilated.

Rukia slept with Kazu in arms, while Toshiro snored away beside them and when the family woke for the second time it was with certainty that they were heading to the hospital.

Thankfully Sasuki had been promoted directly to third seat for squad 13 and she was handling most of the office paperwork. She required very little reassurance, and since her flash step was almost perfect, she could even transport documents to other divisions to be signed off. It meant that Rukia had been given a month's maternity leave. Toshiro on the other hand, as an Alpha and Captain, was only given a couple of weeks and needed to return to work, but even he was too excited for the next new arrival in the Seireitei to be gone for long.

'I'll nip by the office and grab paperwork and bring it to the waiting room with me,' Toshiro said kissing Rukia on the cheek while pulling on his haori. He reached down and lifted Kazu out of Rukia's arms at the front door and lifted his son into the air, blowing a gust of cold wind over the baby's face that had him giggling and spluttering at the same time, his chubby little hands reaching for Daddy's mouth.

'We'll see you soon,' Rukia laughed as Toshiro pretended to eat his sons fingers, then kissed him on the head and handed him back.

'Take care of my heart, I'll see you as soon as I can,' and just like he always did, used a shunpo so fast that Rukia blinked and lost sight of him.

She made the journey to squad four alone, but also, not alone, because her squad still felt the need to stalk her every step. Rukia was now so used to the feeling of being shadowed that she found it a personal insult if she wasn't and enjoyed testing the faster soldiers in her squad by flash stepping so quickly that they'd struggle to keep up.

Perhaps it was cruel, but Rukia enjoyed it.

When she touched down at squad four, with little Kazu strapped to her front, his face pressed against her chest to protect him from the worse of the wind, Rukia was pleased to see that they weren't alone. The waiting room had Rangiku and the twins and Nanao with baby Chikayo.

Rukia gushed over the twins. Baby Masaki had baby blue eyes and Ishi had brown eyes like her father, the two of them were starting to show their strength already by holding their heads up and turning to look at what was going on around them. Chikayo had a tuft of dark hair and grey eyes like her father and seemed hyper aware and rather judgemental of Kazuyuki as Rukia brought him onto her lap to introduce them.

There was a tiny furrow between Chikayo's brow that Rukia was sure she'd inherited from her mother and after a moment of Rukia pretending to wave Kazu's little hand at her, Chikayo turned to look up at her mother with an air of undignified humour.

Rukia laughed and turned to introduce him to the twins in the exact same way. Ishi was much more perceptive and even giggled, even if it was because Kazu grabbed a handful of Rukia's hair and started yanking it.

Toshiro showed up to wait, and made himself a makeshift desk in the corner where he could continue to do work while pausing every little while to hold a baby while a mother went to the bathroom. Some of the squad four medical staff came by and helped babysit from time to time too, pulling baby toys out of sleeves and spoiling the babies with attention.

The hours slipped by easily and sometime after 11am, Yukio finally appeared in the doorway, his face split into a broad grin.

'There's someone we want you to meet,' he said. Excitedly the Omega's gathered their children up, with Toshiro taking Ishi so Rangiku could carry Masaki and made their way into the room they were all so familiar with at this point.

'Kiyone,' Rukia squealed spotting the mother. Kiyone's short blond hair was pushed back from her sweaty face and she looked as tired and exhausted as Rukia remembered feeling. Against her chest, enjoying some skin to skin bonding was a tiny baby.

'Everyone, this is Eito Kotetsu,' Kiyone beamed at them.

'Awww,' Rangiku gushed, 'he's so tiny, what weight is he?'

'He's exactly 5lbs,' Orihime said as she beamed at the mother from across the room. The doctor helped Captain Kotetsu move, pack and clean the space.

'He's so cute,' Rukia gushed, happy that Kazu would not be the only baby boy in the group and also incredibly happy that Toshiro had won enough money for the Chappy he'd promised to get her. Meeting Toshiro's eye now, he offered her a wink, like he didn't doubt himself at all.

'That's it then,' Rangiku said, 'we've all completed our orders.'

'Central 46 will be happy,' Nanao said rolling her eyes, 'we exceeded their initial task.'

'I think we have me to thank for that,' Rangiku flickered her hair over her shoulder and Nanao rolled her eyes harder.

'I thought you were going to have ten, Rangiku?' Kiyone asked with a weak laugh.

'Oh I will, as soon as Ichigo gets back from studying, I will be right back on him,' she replied shamelessly.

Toshiro let out a sigh, clearly not thrilled with the way his Lieutenant was conducting herself but Rukia was curious, she shifted Kazu to her other arm as she made eye contact with Toshiro. When his teal eyes landed on her, Rukia quirked a brow and he simply smiled.

She wouldn't be opposed to having another one, and she'd heard that the pregnancy got easier and easier for an Omega. If the time of peace lasted then Rukia was sure that the couples produced from The Omega Project wouldn't be the only one partners producing offspring, and she prayed that the time of war would hold off long enough for the babies of The Seireitei to grow and live happily.

Only time would tell, but for just now, as Rukia glanced down at the shining eyes of her son and his little lips pulled back in his perfect dimpled smile, she'd simply enjoy the days of peace that came.

* * *

**Massive thank you for coming on this journey with me! A last comment / review would be SUPER appreciated if you have read the series and enjoyed it!**

**I know the ending might feel a bit... quick, but honestly? This fic was only meant to be about 60k and somehow ended up nearly at 120k? WHA!? **

**I really hope you enjoyed it and if you enjoy Omegaverse in the Bleach setting I recommend my other fic 'Delicate Steps of an Ice Dance'**

**If you want to join our Bleach fan fiction writing discord server, where we talk about SO much stuff including what we're working on and reading, join us! The link is on my profile! Along with the link to my Trello where you can see what chapters I am writing and for which ship :D (All Bleach LOL)**

**We also started a Bleach podcast, you can find us by searching 'The Seireitei' or 'Bleach Podcast' on most major platforms (Spotify, Google pod, DoublePod etc)**


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